Ingredients
| VANILLA LABNEH | |
| 400g Greek yoghurt | |
| 25g icing sugar | |
| ⅛ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence | |
| PORTOKALOPITA | |
| 375g filo pastry | |
| 240g sugar | |
| 280g Greek yoghurt | |
| zest of 1 orange | |
| ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence | |
| 240g canola or other flavourless oil | |
| 6 eggs | |
| 4 teaspoons baking powder | |
| ¼ teaspoon salt | |
| PORTOKALOPITA SYRUP | |
| 240g sugar | |
| 150g water | |
| 150g orange juice | |
| zest of 2 oranges | |
| 8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed (optional) | |
| ¼ teaspoon salt | |
| ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence | |
| APRICOT COMPOTE | |
| 300g apricots, roughly chopped | |
| 50g sugar | |
| ⅛ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence | |
| TO SERVE | |
| edible flowers |
Portokalopita has been my favourite discovery of 2026. Despite seeming like a lot of steps, it’s so easy to whip up, and soaking it in syrup gives a cake that lasts incredibly well. The labneh topping adds the perfect amount of tang to contrast the syrupy cake, but you’ll need to start it a day in advance, so if making your
own labneh feels like a step too far you can replace it with a thick Greek yoghurt, or purchase labneh from a speciality grocer.
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Instructions
| 1. | VANILLA LABNEH |
| 2. | The day before you need the labneh, line a sieve with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and place over a bowl. |
| 3. | Pour the yoghurt into the lined sieve and place in the fridge overnight. |
| 4. | The next day, spoon the yoghurt into a bowl (discarding the liquid that has drained off it) and whisk in the icing sugar and vanilla. |
| 5. | Use immediately to assemble the portokalopita. |
| 6. | PORTOKALOPITA |
| 7. | Heat the oven to 180°C. |
| 8. | Lay the filo out over two baking trays – it’s OK if it’s scrunched or overlaps. |
| 9. | Bake the filo for 15-20 minutes, flipping it halfway through, until it’s lightly golden brown, though it’s fine if there are still some pale patches. |
| 10. | Set the filo aside to cool. |
| 11. | Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. |
| 12. | Spray a 25cm springform cake tin with spray oil and line the base with a circle of baking paper. |
| 13. | Whisk the sugar, yoghurt, orange zest, vanilla, oil, eggs, baking powder and salt together until well combined. |
| 14. | Crumble the filo pastry into pieces about the size of panko breadcrumbs, then mix into the batter and stir until well combined. |
| 15. | Pour into the tin and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the portokalopita is firm to the touch in the centre and doesn’t wobble when you shake the tin. |
| 16. | While the portokalopita is baking, make the syrup. |
| 17. | Remove the portokalopita from the oven and pour over the syrup. |
| 18. | Chill overnight or for up to three days before removing from the tin. |
| 19. | PORTOKALOPITA SYRUP |
| 20. | Bring all the ingredients to a boil, then simmer for one minute. |
| 21. | Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature. |
| 22. | Strain the syrup just before pouring it over the baked portokalopita. |
| 23. | APRICOT COMPOTE |
| 24. | Put all the ingredients in a pot. |
| 25. | Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the apricots have broken down into a thick compote, about 5 minutes. |
| 26. | Taste the compote and add more sugar if needed or a squeeze of lemon or lime juice if you like it slightly tangy. Cool. |
| 27. | The compote can keep for up to a week in the fridge. |
| 28. | TO SERVE |
| 29. | Spoon the vanilla labneh on top of the portokalopita, spreading it to the edges of the cake. |
| 30. | Spoon the apricot compote on top of this then decorate with the edible flowers. |
| 31. | The portokalopita will last 3 days in the fridge and is best served slightly chilled. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith
Photography Aaron McLean
Styling Fiona Lascelles