Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Portokalopita
199 kcal a serving, against 443 for the traditional version. That is 244 kcal off, or 55%, with 8.6g of protein. Serves 12. 90 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Roughly torn filo pastry left out to dry until brittle. A heavy custard made from full-fat yoghurt, whole eggs, and a staggering amount of vegetable oil. Once baked, the hot cake is soaked in a thick syrup made from equal parts water and sugar, flavoured with orange juice.
What changed, and what each change costs
200g of vegetable oil down to 30g
Oil gives the cake a slippery, rich texture and keeps it moist for over a week. Stripping it out cuts massive amounts of fat, relying entirely on the yoghurt to provide the moisture.
What it costs you. The crumb is firmer. You lose that wet, saturated mouthfeel.
Full-fat Greek yoghurt down to 0% fat Greek yoghurt, backed up by egg whites
This builds the structure back up. The zero-fat yoghurt brings a huge hit of protein, while the egg whites bind the shredded pastry without adding heavy yolks.
What it costs you. It binds slightly tighter. You have to watch the baking time closely, or the egg whites will turn the cake rubbery.
400g of sugar down to 150g
The traditional version uses sugar both in the batter and to make a viscous syrup. I cut it right down and use pure orange juice to carry the flavour into the sponge.
What it costs you. What you've got is just a moderately sweet cake. A sticky dessert shop slab is a different dish and you know where to find it. You'll lose the glossy, mirror-like finish on top.
What goes in it
The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.
- Filo pastry
- Fat-free Greek yoghurt
- Egg white
- Egg
- Vegetable oil
- Caster sugar
- Orange juice
- Baking powder
How it starts
- Take your filo pastry out of the fridge and shred it into rough pieces with your hands.
- Heat your oven to 180C.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the zero-fat Greek yoghurt, whole eggs, egg whites, vegetable oil and 50g of the sugar.
The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Greek.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 443 | 199 |
| Protein | 7.6g | 8.6g |
| Fat | 22g | 5g |
| Saturated fat | 4g | 1g |
| Carbohydrate | 54.4g | 29.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.7g | 4.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.
Allergens. gluten, milk, eggs.
The method is in the book
A massive success. The orange flavour is sharper and fresher because it is not buried under half a kilo of sugar. The texture is springy and dense, and the switch to fat-free yoghurt makes it genuinely filling. You miss the syrupy gloss, but you've gained a cake you can eat without needing a nap.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback
More from Authentic-ish Greek
- Baklava, 209 kcal a serving, 44% off
- Galaktoboureko, 259 kcal a serving, 51% off
- Loukoumades, 186 kcal a serving, 57% off
- Rizogalo, 194 kcal a serving, 38% off
- Karidopita, 240 kcal a serving, 56% off
- Yiaourti me Meli, 229 kcal a serving, 51% off
Every Greek dish and its calories · Every dish in the series