Karithopita (Greek Walnut and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Syrup)

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Karithopita (Greek Walnut and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Syrup)

By

Kate Winslow

Karithopita (Greek Walnut and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Syrup)

This Greek walnut and olive oil cake—spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange zest—is delicious on its own, but really sings with a drizzle of sweet orange syrup.

Yield

10

Time

2 hours

Rating

—

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for oiling the pan

6 eggs, separated, at room temperature

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 navel oranges

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

Step 2

Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking once or twice, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chop finely or grind in a nut grinder.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Step 4

Beat together 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolks and yogurt and beat until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture and the ground walnuts.

Step 5

In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar and beat with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff and hold glossy peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold the egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter in the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Step 6

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Step 7

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan and cool completely.

Step 8

Bring the sugar and juices to a simmer in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to simmer until syrup is slightly thickened and reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Step 9

Cut the peel and pith from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut segments free from the membranes, letting them drop into a bowl. Pour the cooled syrup over the oranges.

Step 10

Serve the cake topped with some of the oranges and a generous drizzle of syrup.

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Karithopita (Greek Walnut and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Syrup)

By

Kate Winslow

This Greek walnut and olive oil cake—spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange zest—is delicious on its own, but really sings with a drizzle of sweet orange syrup.

Yield

10

Time

2 hours

Rating

—

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for oiling the pan

6 eggs, separated, at room temperature

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 navel oranges

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

Step 2

Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking once or twice, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chop finely or grind in a nut grinder.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Step 4

Beat together 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolks and yogurt and beat until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture and the ground walnuts.

Step 5

In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar and beat with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff and hold glossy peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold the egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter in the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Step 6

Bake until the top of the cake is golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Step 7

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan and cool completely.

Step 8

Bring the sugar and juices to a simmer in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to simmer until syrup is slightly thickened and reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Step 9

Cut the peel and pith from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut segments free from the membranes, letting them drop into a bowl. Pour the cooled syrup over the oranges.

Step 10

Serve the cake topped with some of the oranges and a generous drizzle of syrup.

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By Michael Symon

Michael Symon’s Greek-style pork spareribs are the perfect combination of crusty, meaty and nicely charred. They’re even better with a squeeze of grilled lemon.

3 hr

Psites Patates (Lemony Roasted Potatoes with Oregano)

By Kate Winslow

Golden potato wedges and lemon slices are roasted together until crisp and fragrant, a perfect accompaniment to lamb chops or roast chicken.

55 min

Greek Salad

By Lidey Heuck

While diner-style Greek salads made with chopped romaine, crumbled feta and often grilled chicken have become ubiquitous in American restaurants, a traditional Greek salad, or horiatiki salata, is a simpler affair. An assembled salad of large-diced vegetables with Kalamata olives and sometimes capers, this salad has no greens at all, and the feta is served sliced on top of the salad rather than crumbled and tossed into it. A traditional Greek salad dressing usually consists of olive oil and red wine vinegar; this recipe adds garlic and oregano. To make the salad into a satisfying vegetarian main course, throw in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.

15 min

Pecan Cream Pie

By Joe Sevier

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Pitta ‘mpigliata

By Valeria Necchio

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Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice

By Grace Parisi

This tart, savory avgolemono soup has a short, simple ingredients list and comes together in just half an hour. For extra ease, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken (and leftover cooked rice, if you have it) to get dinner on the table even faster.

30 min

More from Desserts

View All →

Sweet Cinnamon Tamal

By Daniela Soto-Innes

Baking a single large-format tamal may not be traditional, but it produces a similarly tender, moist, barely sweet cake with pudding vibes.

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By Desserts

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45 min

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By Leah Colins

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5 min

Brazo de Mercedes

By Baking With Ish

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Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

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Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies

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