Greek Cake

When we talk about “Greek Cake,” it could refer to a variety of traditional Greek desserts. For example, it could be a Galaktoboureko, a type of cake made with phyllo dough and a semolina cream flavored with aromas. Alternatively, it could be a variation of another popular Greek cake called Baklava. Assuming you are looking for something similar to Galaktoboureko, here is the recipe, with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of whole milk
• 100 g of semolina
• 100 g of sugar
• 2 eggs
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 200 g of phyllo dough
• 100 g of melted butter
• Powdered sugar for decoration
• Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preparation

1. In a pot, bring the milk to a boil with the grated lemon peel.
2. Add the semolina in a thin stream and continue to cook over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens.
3. Remove from heat, discard the lemon peel, and add the sugar, mixing well.
4. Let it cool and incorporate the beaten eggs with the vanilla extract.
5. Prepare a baking dish and brush the bottom and sides with a little melted butter.
6. Overlap several layers of phyllo dough in the dish, brushing each one with melted butter.
7. Pour in the semolina cream and cover with more layers of phyllo dough, also brushed with butter.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and crispy.
9. Let the Greek cake cool, then dust it with powdered sugar and, if desired, a bit of ground cinnamon.

Curiosity

Galaktoboureko is a typical Greek dessert commonly found in pastry shops. Its uniqueness lies in the contrast between the crispiness of the external dough and the softness of the internal semolina cream. In some variations of the recipe, a syrup made of sugar, water, and lemon peel is also prepared to be poured over the warm cake, but I have chosen to present you with a simpler and quicker version to make.