full recipe – karithopita

Karithopita is a mouthwatering, fluffy cinnamon and walnut cake soaked in lemon syrup. Perfecting this cake is all about balance: I’m not a fan of overly sweet cakes and think it’s important to get the ratio of sponge to syrup correct to avoid a sickly sweet or too heavily soaked cake. Some people make karithopita with butter, but I prefer to follow the ancient Greek tradition of using olive oil as the base for a beautifully moist and completely dairy-free cake.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 20

200g (2 cups) walnuts
375 ml (1 1⁄2 cups) light olive oil
230 g (1 cup) caster sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brandy
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
260 g (2 cups) gluten-free self-raising flour, sifted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
handful of crushed walnuts (mixed with ground cinnamon if you like), to serve

SPICED SUGAR SYRUP
345 g (1 1⁄2 cups) caster sugar
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves

METHOD
1. To make the spiced sugar syrup, place the sugar, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, cloves and 500 ml (2 cups) of water in a small saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes to reduce and thicken. Set aside to cool slightly, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and place in the fridge to cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced). Brush a 30 cm round or 30 cm × 23 cm rectangular cake tin with light olive oil.

3. Blitz or pound the walnuts to a coarse meal. Set aside.

4. Place the olive oil, sugar, eggs, brandy and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed to just bring the ingredients together. Add the flour and cinnamon and mix to combine. Add the walnut meal and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour the wet batter into the prepared tin, spreading it a little higher around the rim to allow for an even rise. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

5. Slice the cake in the tin into squares or diamonds. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake, then decorate the centre of each piece with the crushed walnuts. Set aside for 2 hours so the cake soaks up the syrup, then serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

NOTES
1. The golden rule when making a syrup cake is to pour cold syrup over a hot cake or hot syrup over a cold cake. This technique prevents your cake from turning soggy.

2. It is important to use the correct tin size for an even distribution of syrup. If your cake is smaller and taller, you risk a syrupy base and dry top.Gluten-Free Mediterranean by Helen Tzouganatos, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Jeremy Simons.