This dish is a traditional Greek dessert with fillo pastry, oranges, cinnamon, and simple syrup that we made more accessible to home cooks by making it in a skillet.
The cake is moist, light, fluffy, and flavorful. It also has the perfect balance of sweet and citrus flavors! We hope you enjoy this recipe!

Fillo means "leaf" in Greek, but if you're not familiar with it, think of these as sheets of paper-thin pastry dough that are layered together to create dishes such as spanakopita (spinach pie) or savory egg pie.
The best desserts are the ones with a little twist. Orange Fillo Cake is no exception to that rule. It's so easy to make, and it'll impress any of your friends or family when they come over for dinner!
I'm not the type of person who can whip up a cake with ingredients I have lying around. But this is one recipe where you only need a few pantry items and some fresh oranges.
All you need to make your very own portokalopita is butter, eggs, flour, sugar, orange juice, and some Greek yogurt for an extra oomph of flavor. We've also added cinnamon (of course) into the mix for another dimension of taste!
This cake will be on rotation at all our holiday dinners and backyard parties from now on!
๐ Why it Works
- This classic Greek dessert is not only made in a skillet but so effortless to make, even if you are baking with fillo dough pastry for the first time.
- Orange Fillo Cake is an easy skillet dessert that's perfect for entertaining. It can be served warm or at room temperature, and the recipe makes a very generous portion, so it feeds many people.
- You can't go wrong when you combine buttery filo dough with yogurt, eggs, and sugar! I love how this dish tastes like fall flavors in the springtime because of its use of oranges and cinnamon.
- It's light, fluffy, and full of citrus flavor. One bite will transport you right into Greece! It's perfect paired with a cold glass of classic Greek frappe!
๐ Ingredients and Notes
Fillo pastry- if you have never used this type of dough before, do not fret! It might be the easiest fillo dessert to make because it does not require the careful handling of these fragile sheets.
As a matter of fact, the goal is to dry them out and crumple them into messy pieces.
If this is your first time hearing about phyllo, it is also used to make the famous Turkish (the origin of the dessert) Baklava and various pies and tarts.
Orange and Cinnamon syrup- there is just something magical about orange and cinnamon flavors mingling in one fantastic treat - especially if you love citrus-based cakes and desserts!
A few things to remember about syrup-based cakes like this one:
- First, make sure that the syrup is at room temperature before adding it to your cake base, or else it won’t be adequately absorbed, and you will not get the moist cake you are aiming for.
- Second, the syrup needs time to settle and evenly distribute after you pour it in. Serving it right after pouring will result in a top-heavy cake with the flavor concentrated on the top portion only- not good! It is best served at least after an hour to 3 hours.
๐ช Instructions
You mix dried pastry pieces into a yogurt-egg mixture, bake it, and then finish by pouring with orange syrup, called “Siropiasta.” Voila!
Step 1: Syrup
- Zest and juice 3 oranges.
- Make the syrup by boiling sugar, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and water in a saucepan. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Cake
- Remove the defrosted fillo sheets from the package, separate, and let out to dry.
- Beat eggs and sugar, and then add yogurt, oil, and baking powder.
- Add orange zest and vanilla to the mixture.
Step 3: Assemble
- Gradually add the crumbled fillo by handfuls to this mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared skillet and bake on 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Take out the cake, prick it with a fork, and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake.
- Fillo (phyllo or filo): Defrost the pastry beforehand! Make sure to dry it before adding it to the batter thoroughly. This will ensure that the mixture is evenly distributed and not create dough blobs resulting in doughy clumps later on. You can also tear the pastry sheets first and then spread them out and leave them to dry. To speed up the process of drying, place a baking sheet with fillo into a warm oven.
- Syrup: Always pour cold syrup over hot cake. You could also let the cake cool first and then pour it over with hot syrup, but that adds extra cooling time. Also, try to keep some syrup in a bottle or bowl for later. This way, you can drizzle some as you serve the portions.
- Orange Zest: Mix the zest with baking powder to prevent it from clumping.
- Serving: If you wish, top the cake with thinly sliced oranges before baking to add a visual appeal. Drizzle the slices with chocolate syrup before serving. Another way to enjoy this delightful cake is to add a scoop of ice cream or yogurt on top when you serve it, especially on a hot summer day.
- Make-Ahead: This Greek orange fillo cake is perfect for making ahead of time! It needs to cool completely for at least 2 hours for the syrup to settle into the cake base fully, so it can easily be made the day before you plan to serve it.
- Storing: The baked cake, including leftovers, should be stored, lightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Skillet: If you don't own a cast-iron skillet yet, I highly recommend getting one. You can find them at a pretty affordable price. However, you can make this cake in a 9x13 baking dish or two 9-inch round cake pans.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Portokalopita is a Greek compound word that comes from the base words “portokáli,” which means oranges, and “pita,” which means pastry.
Legend has it that this traditional Greek pie came about to use up the excess dried-up fillo flakes after making other types of fillo recipes.
So it is basically a way to recycle goods that turned into a mouth-watering piece worthy of using fresh pastry!
The fillo replaces the flour in this recipe; therefore, there is no usual dough kneading associated with baking pastries. You only need to mix in the dried pastry pieces in your batter made of eggs, baking powder, oil, yogurt, and sugar, then pop it in the oven.
All three spellings are correct and used intermittently.
This cake is not suitable for freezing. The fillo sheets tend to get soggy and unappealing both in texture and taste. It's best to refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
- Rustic Plum Ricotta Tart With Fillo
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Fillo Doughnuts
- Baklava Ice Cream
- Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
- Nut-Free Raspberry Baklava
- Apple Pie Rolls With Fillo
Liked this recipe? Leave a โญโญโญโญโญ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Greek Skillet Orange Fillo Cake
EQUIPMENT
- Mixing bowl
- Citrus zester
- Citrus juicer or reamer
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
For the Cake Base
- 1 pounds fillo
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup oil
- Orange zest, from the 3 oranges needed for syrup below
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Syrup
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- Juice of 3 oranges
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-2 oranges cut into rings to decorate, optional
Instructions
For the Syrup
For the Cake
- Fold fillo sheets like a harmonica and leave them to dry, and then tear or crunch into small pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet lightly with oil.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar, and then add yogurt, oil, and baking powder. Mix in the orange zest and vanilla to the mixture. Gradually add the chopped fillo (by handfuls), gently mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared skillet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Take out the cake, prick it with a fork, and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Set aside for at least 2 hours, until most of the syrup has soaked in. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- Fillo (phyllo or filo): Defrost the fillo beforehand! Make sure to dry it before adding it to the batter thoroughly. This will ensure that the mixture is evenly distributed and not create dough blobs resulting in doughy clumps later on. You can also tear the pastry sheets first and then spread them out and leave them to dry. To speed up the process of drying, place a baking sheet with fillo into a warm oven.
- Syrup: Always pour cold syrup over hot cake. You could also let the cake cool first and then pour it over with hot syrup, but that adds extra cooling time. Also, try to keep some syrup in a bottle or bowl for later. This way, you can drizzle some as you serve the portions.
- Orange Zest: Mix the zest with baking powder to prevent it from clumping.
- Serving: If you wish, top the cake with thinly sliced oranges before baking to add a visual appeal. Drizzle the slices with chocolate syrup before serving. Another way to enjoy this delightful cake is to add a scoop of ice cream or yogurt on top when you serve it, especially on a hot summer day.
- Make-Ahead: This Greek orange fillo cake is perfect for making ahead of time! It needs to cool completely for at least 2 hours for the syrup to settle into the cake base fully, so it can easily be made the day before you plan to serve it.
- Storing: The baked cake, including leftovers, should be stored, lightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Skillet: If you don't own a cast-iron skillet yet, I highly recommend getting one. You can find them at a pretty affordable price. However, you can make this cake in a 9x13 baking dish or two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on its products.
Ron says
What a yummy looking and fun to make cake. I've never heard of this type of cake recipe, but then I'm not a big baker. Perhaps I missed this but how long does it take to dry the filo? Can you do that step a day earlier? Thanks for the inspiration.
Jas says
Hi Ron, you can definitely dry the fillo a day earlier. Depending on how you spread it out, it can take anywhere from 15-60 minutes to dry. Thanks for stopping in! Take care.
cook and play says
Ahaaa, znaฤi kore su u smjesi, pa tak ti meni reci:) Baลก zanimljivo, moram to jednom isprobati. Btw, izgleda super soฤno, a slike su mi prekrasne.
Jas says
Pa eto, rekla sam ti, haha. ๐ Jesu, bas je jednostavno i zabavno, kidati kore a ne paziti da se ne potrgaju kao inace. ๐ Probaj pa mi javi kako ti je ispalo. Uzimaj one deblje za pite a ne za baklavu.