Karydopita: Greek Walnut Cake with Spiced Syrup

Karydopita, Greek walnut cake, in a baking dish with a piece cut out

Karydopita is a Greek walnut cake, light from whisked egg whites, warm with cinnamon and cloves, and soaked in spiced syrup as soon as it comes out of the oven. It is a winter favourite that stands on many Christmas tables next to melomakarona and kourabiedes.

Make it a day ahead: the syrup needs time to soak in, and the cake only gets better.

Serves: 16 pieces | Prep: 25 min | Cook: 45 min plus soaking

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 200 g sugar
  • 150 ml sunflower oil or light olive oil
  • 100 ml orange juice and the grated zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp brandy or cognac (optional)
  • 250 g walnuts, finely chopped
  • 150 g ground rusks or dried breadcrumbs
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • A pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt
  • For the syrup: 400 g sugar, 350 ml water, 2 tbsp honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, a strip of lemon peel, juice of ½ lemon

Method

  1. Make the syrup first so it has time to cool: boil the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon peel for 5 minutes, stir in the honey and lemon juice and let it cool completely.
  2. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease a 30 by 23 cm baking tin.
  3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick. Beat in the oil, the orange juice and zest and the brandy, if using.
  4. Mix the walnuts, rusk crumbs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and stir them into the yolk mixture.
  5. Whisk the egg whites with the salt to stiff peaks and fold them in gently in three parts.
  6. Spread the batter in the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
  7. Slowly pour the cold syrup over the hot cake. Let it soak for at least 2 hours, better overnight, before cutting it into diamonds.

Tips

  • Hot cake and cold syrup: that way it stays moist without turning soggy.
  • Covered, it keeps for 5 days outside the fridge.
  • Serve it with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.

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Photo: Dianeira, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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