Helloooo,
This Greek Walnut Cake (Karydopita) is a dessert that has a rich and aromatic nutty flavor of walnuts, enhanced by warm spices like cinnamon which I love, and cloves. The tender texture comes from the eggs and milk, which keeps the cake moist. The cake is soaked in a lemon or orange-infused syrup made from sugar, water, cinnamon, and sometimes brandy. This version of Karydopita is a blend of traditional and modern, I’ve adapted my mother-in-law’s classic recipe with a twist.
What does Karydopita mean? The name “Karydopita” comes from the Greek words “karydi” which means (walnut) and “pita” (pie). This cake has roots in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, where nuts, and spices have been key ingredients. This Greek Walnut Cake (Karydopita) is unique because it’s packed with walnuts, no butter, a few grams of vegetable oil, and semolina flour. There’s one more ingredient I love to add to this cake, nutmeg. Surprised? This spice, along with cinnamon and cloves, gives the cake its warmth. These aromatic spices create a rich, cozy taste that makes every bite irresistible!
I have seen other recipes on the net that do not use semolina flour, I do use it because I believe that semolina makes the cake fluffier. Other recipes contain all-purpose flour, either way, I still believe the result is about the same. The cake is not overly sweet due to the balance of the flavors. The sugar added to the syrup makes this a perfect sweet dessert. I made it even sweeter and with a creamier texture, by adding an extra cup of sugar and whisking along with the eggs. I made two Karydopites, one with and one without sugar.
Greek Walnut Cake (Karydopita) is a delicious coffee cake in Greek style.
Have a good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!
Greek Walnut Cake (Karydopita)
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer
- 2 mxing bowl
- 1 Baking pan non stick
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 6 eggs medium size - room temperature
- 1 cup walnuts crushed
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup semolina
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tbsp nutmeg
- ½ tbsp clove
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- Syrup Ingredients
- 1 lemon juice and lemon peel
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 30 ml brandy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180℃.
- Combine the sugar and eggs in a bowl, then place the bowl on the stand mixer. Beat until the mixture becomes creamy. Whisk for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Add all the dry ingredients into the second bowl and stir gently with the spatula until well combined. Leave the crushed walnuts and vegetable oil for later.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamy mixture and continue whisking with the stand mixer until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gradually add the crushed walnuts and vegetable oil. Gently stir with the spatula.
- Pour the batter into a buttered baking pan, ensureing that the batter is spread evenly.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Once baked set aside to cool off completely.
KALI SAS OREXI!! 🙂
