Orange and broken filo pastry pie

Details

• Cuisine: Greek
• Recipe Type: Pie
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 80 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/gas mark 1. Lightly butter a 20cm (8in) round cake tin.
2. Cut the filo pastry into thin strips and place on a baking tray. Dry in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crisp. Increase the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
3. Whisk all the cake ingredients together in a bowl, preferably using an electric mixer, for a couple of minutes.
4. When the filo is dry enough, add it to the cake mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into the cake tin and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is golden and a knife comes out of the cake clean.
5. While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Place all the syrup ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
6. When the cake comes out the oven, remove the cinnamon and cardamom pods from the lukewarm syrup and pour it over the cake. You may need to make some holes on the surface of the cake with a cocktail stick to allow the syrup to soak in.
7. If you like, you can serve this cake with bay leaf dust. Blitz a few fresh bay leaves in a spice grinder or food processor then rub through a fine sieve to get a bright green dust that will really complement the orange aromas and look fabulous too.