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Greek Orange Honey Cake with Pistachios

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I’ve been having fun with olive oil cakes, including Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake and this Orange Ricotta Cake. But my very favorite currently is this Greek orange honey cake!

This light, flavor-packed honey cake skips all the fuss. And it’s the simple cake that will feed a crowd.

Greek Orange Honey Cake | The Mediterranean Dish. This super simple Greek cake is made with olive oil and Greek yogurt, and perfectly flavored with lots of citrus. Topped with toasted pistachios and a luscious honey syrup. A foolproof honey cake that can feed a crowd! See it on TheMediterraneanDish.com #cake #oliveoilcake #mediterraneandiet #easterdinnerideas #easterdinner #dessertrecipes #chirstmasrecipes #christmasdinnerideas #easterrecipes

In search for easy desserts that aren’t laden with butter or frosting, I happened upon a slightly different version of today’s honey cake in Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes cookbook. An inspiration from the island of Aegina, where pistachios and honey from local beekeepers are aplenty! I was immediately hooked!

This Yiayia-approved honey cake can easily feed a crowd (12 to 15 or so). And it’s the kind of simple dessert where you dump all the ingredients in one single bowl and mix! But, there is more…

Greek Honey Cake in large pan. Topped with pistachios and slivered almonds

Why this Honey Cake Works

There is a lot to love about this honey cake. Top of the list, it’s insanely DELICIOUS and very easy to make! But here are a few more things bakers and non-bakers alike will appreciate:

1. The combination of flours, all-purpose flour with coarse semolina (farina), gives it such interesting texture.

2. Greek yogurt here lends a great light and fluffy texture. Plus, its slightly tangy flavor balances so well with crave-worthy citrus from the generous amounts of orange and lemon zest.

3. The honey-pistachio SYRUP is king in this recipe! Admittedly, Jamie’s original recipe called for less syrup; I found that more of it was need for such a large cake. It lent flavor, and made for a perfectly “sticky” cake.

Greek Honey Orange Cake with pistachios and almonds. Sliced for 15 people

4. Finally, as always, if you’re going to make an olive oil cake, use the best olive oil you can. Shameless plug…I highly recommend our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Learn more here.

Pro Tip

For maximum flavor, drizzle the hot syrup–made of honey, fresh orange juice, lemon juice, and pistachios–on the cooled cake. If you have the time, I highly recommend that you let the cake sit a few hours before serving (it’s even better the next day when all the flavors and moisture have settled!)

Watch how to make this honey cake:

 

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Greek Orange Honey Cake | The Mediterranean Dish. This super simple Greek cake is made with olive oil and Greek yogurt, and perfectly flavored with lots of citrus. Topped with toasted pistachios and a luscious honey syrup. A foolproof honey cake that can feed a crowd! See it on TheMediterraneanDish.com #cake #oliveoilcake #mediterraneandiet #easterdinnerideas #easterdinner #dessertrecipes #chirstmasrecipes #christmasdinnerideas #easterrecipes

Greek Orange Honey Cake with Pistachios

★★★★★

4.9 from 10 reviews
  • Author: The Mediterranean Dish
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Up to 15 Pieces
  • Cuisine: Greek
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For Cake

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (I used fat-free plain Greek yogurt)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 tbsp ground almonds (do this in a small food processor)
  • zest of 1 Meyer lemon
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup coarse semolina (OR farina, Cream of Wheat, or this Creamy Wheat Cereal)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
  • Handful shaved almonds for topping, optional

For Honey Pistachio Syrup

  • 1 1 /4 cup shelled salted pistachios
  • 1 1/4 cup quality runny honey
  • juice of 2 oranges
  • juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter and dust with flour (shake the pan a little to get an even coating of flour).
  3. Place all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or a whisk to combine.
  4.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
  5. Bake in heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and well cooked-through. To be sure, insert a wooden skewer into the center of the cake, it should come out clean if the cake is done.
  6. Remove from the oven and let the cake completely cool in the pan.
  7. Once the cake has cooled, prepare the honey syrup. Toast the pistachio in a dry non-stick pan over low to medium heat (pan needs to be large enough for the remaining syrup ingredients). Once they start to smell, stir in the honey. Add the orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until nice and syrupy. (Do NOT taste the hot syrup, it will burn your mouth)
  8. Stab the cake all over with a small knife or a skewer to create holes. Pour the honey pistachio syrup all over the cake as evenly as possible. If you need to, use a spoon to distribute the pistachios across the top of the cake. Sprinkle shaved almonds, if using.
  9. You can cut the cake into 12 to 15 squares and serve at this point (see notes for best results.)

Notes

  • Note: The syrup needs to be hot when you pour it on the cooled cake, the cake will better absorb it. Also, for best results, allow the cake to sit for a few hours before cutting and serving. It is even better the next day when the flavors and the moisture have settled in.
  • Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes
  • Recommended for this recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Also see our Greek olive oil bundle! 

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More Recipes to Try

Greek-Style Baklava

Greek Pastitsio (Bechamel Pasta Casserole)

Greek Green Beans

Loaded Mediterranean Omelette

Mediterranean Bean and Broccoli Pasta 

One-Skillet Garlic Dijon Chicken

 

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  1. This cake is truly wonderful! I must follow a strict gluten free diet so I made a couple of changes to the base recipe by replacing the flours with my gluten free flour blend but the three times I have made it so far came out terrific! Thank you for sharing a cake recipe that is appealing to so many in my family!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Wow…we loved this cake, made it today and it was awesome ….so we can not wait to see how it tastes tomorrow …thanks for the easy to follow recipe….spent a little time converting to metric and degrees Celsius…and it worked a treat…..thanks again for the wonderful recipes….

    ★★★★

    Reply

  6. Hi and thank you for sharing so many wonderful dishes! I have a question for you, what dishes are part of a typical Mediterranean diet? I’m trying to eat most of my meals Mediterranean style but having difficulty finding recipes for breakfast/ brunch. Need help ?

    Reply

    • I am not 100 percent sure, Sophie. Semolina is wheat (it is also sold as “cream of wheat” in the hot cereal aisle) and polenta is from corn. The cake may turn out far grittier and denser using ploenta. But I haven’t personally tried it.

      Reply

  9. We are a gluten free home because my husband was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 18 years ago. Baking was a tough thing to accomplish because the supermarkets were stocking Gluten Free Foods like they do today. Karl loved his cakes, pies and cookies, I had no idea what I was going todo. Fortunately, I was an experienced baker using wheat flour, even baking my own bread many times, but this stumped me. Thank goodness for the information on the internet and many good cookbooks online. Everything was a huge help. I use 3 basic flour blends that I make myself, depending on what I am baking/cooking. I never found one flour blend that was great for everything. I also have a blend for the most tender delicious pancakes ever, that rival regular wheat flour pancakes. I make my mixes and keep them labeled in plastric bowls with snap on lids. I got the Bowls from the dollar store and these particular bowls are wonderful. The cake flour mix is
    3 cups brown rice flour (fine ground)
    1 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
    1⁄2 cup tapioca flour
    1 1⁄4 teaspoons guar gum or 1 1⁄4 teaspoons xanthan gum
    DIRECTIONS
    Sift ingredients together, combining thoroughly. Use in place of flour 9in cakes and other baked goods.
    Store in airtight container or ziploc bag in refrigerator. My Flour Mix for Pizza: This makes a delicious PIZZA ,1 1/2 C. Brown Rice Flour 3C. Corn Starch, 1/2 C. Potato Starch, 1Tabl. Xanthan Gum. Use 3 C. Flour mix,1 Tbl. Sugar 1 tsp. Salt, 3/4 tsp. Baking Powder, 3 Tbls. Dry Yeast, The Liquid is 1/12. C. Water at 120 degrees, 3 Tbl. Olive Oil..Mix for 3 minutes with stand mixer. on Med. Let Raise in a covered bowl for 30 minutes. Bake the pizza on a parchment lined pan or pizza stone and cover the parchment paper with olive oil. Bake in a 450 degree oven. Pre bake the crust in 450 degree oven on lower rack till edges are slightly brown. Add your toppings and bake about 10 min. till cheese melts. This crust is soft and slightly chewy, so delicioius. Recipe for All Purpose G. F. Flour Blend: 24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour
    7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour, 7 ounces (1 1/3 cups) potato starch, 3 ounces (3/4 cup) tapioca starch
    3/4 ounce (3 tablespoons) nonfat milk powder. To Make Cake Flou: For each cup of All Purpose Flour, Remove 2 Tbls. and add in 2 Tbls, corn Starch, Then sift the new Cake Flour Mix, 5 times. Do not skip this step. I hope that I helped. And don’t forget to pick up one edge of the cake lid to get some moisture out.

    Reply

  10. This looks so good but would have to make it gluten-free for my mom. Do you think this would work with gf flour?

    Reply

    • Hi Julia…I don’t have a ton of experience in GF baking, but I would say if there is a flour you depend on for cakes that’s given you great results before, it should work here too. Enjoy!

      Reply

  11. Do you have a compilation complete cookbook that I can purchase that has all of your Mediterranian Recipes?
    If so, I would like to purchase it. So If you do, send me the information to purchase it….I work so much, and have a cataract in one eye that is strained watching all the little videos, which are great, but it makes my eye and head hurt, so it is torture just using the site. Thank you! Keep up the great work!

    Reply

  17. Oh my Lord!! Looks at that golden beauty ?? this is so full of amazing flavors and textures can’t get my eyes off the screen! Saving it!

    Reply

  22. I’m loving the look of this cake. That honey pistachio syrup truly is everything!

    ★★★★★

    Reply