Chocolate Portokalopita

Ingredients

Serves 10-12

375 g Fillo Pastry, cut into strips and dry overnight on a table cloth

500 g dark chocolate

1 orange, zested

250 g sunflower oil

250 g sugar

200 g Greek yogurt

200 ml cream

50 g Dutch cocoa powder

5 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

300 ml buttermilk

Syrup

600 g sugar

500 ml of water 

Juice of 2 Oranges

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg. C fan forced.

Make the syrup first by bringing the water and sugar to the boil.  Once sugar has dissolved add orange juice.  Boil for 5 minutes - allow to cool.

Using your hands, crumble up the dried Fillo Pastry into fine crumbs - as much as possible.  

Heat the cream and buttermilk in a saucepan.  Take the saucepan off the heat, add the chocolate and stir thoroughly so it melts into the cream.

Beat the eggs with sugar in a mixer.  Once nice and creamy, mix in using a spoon - yoghurt, orange zest and oil.

Sift in the Dutch Cocoa.  Finally add the chocolate mixture and gently stir allowing everything to come together.

Add baking powder and baking soda to the Fillo.  Start mixing the Fillo Pastry into the chocolate mixture making sure that the Fillo is well incorporated.  Allow to rest but stir every so often.

Butter and flour a 32cm round tray.  Pour mixture into baking tray and bake for 45 mins - 1 hour.  Check the centre of the cake with a skewer.  If still wet, bake for another 15 minutes.

Pour cold syrup onto hot cake and allow to cool.  Serve with cream or ice cream.

Recipe by Kathy Tsaples - Everyday Gourmet.