Earl Grey Portokalopita (Greek Orange Filo Cake)

• servings: 12 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 56 years 5 months 21 day

Ingredients

2 oranges, juiced

300g caster sugar

250ml water

4 Earl Grey tea bags

2 x 270g packs filo pastry

3 large eggs

175g caster sugar

200g full-fat Greek yoghurt

2 oranges, zest and juice

150g salted butter, melted (or 120ml vegetable oil)

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

Directions

Heat your oven to 130°C / 110°C fan.

Combine the orange juice, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the tea bags, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the tea bags and leave the syrup to cool completely.

Scrunch the filo sheets loosely and spread them out over a large baking tray in a single-ish layer. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until dried and crisp but not coloured. Transfer to a rack to cool, then repeat with the remaining filo. Alternatively, you can leave the sheets out at room temperature for a few hours until fully dried.

Once cool, break the filo into small pieces with your hands – they can be sharp, so be careful!

Turn your oven up to 180°C / 160°C fan. Grease and line a 23cm springform tin, or use a 20cm square tin if you’d prefer to serve it straight from the dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, yoghurt, orange zest and juice until smooth. Add the melted butter, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, then whisk again until fully combined.

Add the dried filo in stages, folding it in gently with a spatula so it doesn’t clump. Continue until evenly incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until deeply golden and set with no wobble in the centre.

As soon as it comes out of the oven, pierce it all over with a skewer or toothpick, then gradually ladle over the cooled syrup, letting each addition absorb before adding the next, until it’s all used.

Leave to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in the tin overnight. The next day, remove from the tin, slice and serve.