Karidopita (Greek walnut cake)
Karidopita is a traditional Greek walnut cake that is mildly spiced and soaked in syrup. It's incredibly moist, delicious, and simple to make.
Servings 24 , approximately
Equipment
- large mixing bowls
- hand mixer (or stand mixer)
- a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan (or similar size)
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 3 cups water (750ml)
- 3 ¾ cups sugar (750g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the cake
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour (340g/12oz)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 8.8 ounces coarsely chopped walnuts (250g/about 2½ cups)
- 3 medium eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 1 cup light vegetable oil (250ml) + extra to grease the pan
- 1 cup milk (250ml)
For the garnish (optional)
- 1 ounce finely ground walnuts (25g)
Instructions
Prep the pan & preheat the oven
- Lightly grease the baking pan with oil. There's no need to flour it or line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/350°.
Make the syrup
- Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, cognac, cloves and cinnamon stick. Put on medium high heat and stir a few times to blend everything. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer for exactly 5 minutes. You don't need to stir it while it's simmering.3 cups water, 3 ¾ cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy, 4 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick
- Take it off the heat and set it aside to cool. Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Make the cake
- In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chopped walnuts, and spices. Set it aside.2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 8.8 ounces coarsely chopped walnuts, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In another large bowl beat the eggs and sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and looks creamy (see picture tutorial in post).3 medium eggs, 1 cup sugar
- Add the milk and the oil and mix until well-combined.1 cup milk, 1 cup light vegetable oil
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined (I do it in 2 batches). Scrape the bowl as needed to incorporate everything, but don't overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes and then cut it into slices.
- For diamond shapes, first make 3 vertical cuts. Then starting in the top right hand corner, make 8 diagonal cuts (see picture tutorial in post).
- Slowly pour the syrup over the cake, one ladle at a time. Don't pour the syrup all at once. Give the cake time to soak the syrup before adding more. Continue until you've poured all the syrup over the cake.
- Let the cake sit for at least 2 hours before serving, so it has time to soak up the syrup.
- Top each slice with some finely ground walnuts, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Success
-
- Before starting, make sure the baking powder and the baking soda haven't expired.
- Weigh all ingredients first for consistent results.
- Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before slicing it.
- You can cut the cake into squares instead of diamonds, if you prefer.
- As with all Greek desserts, I add cool syrup to hot desserts. If they're both hot, the dessert could fall apart.
- Don't pour all the syrup all at once, add a little at a time. Let the cake absorb some syrup before adding more.
- Let the cake sit for at least 2 hours before serving, so it has time to soak up the syrup.
