Karidópita — Walnut Cake in Cinnamon Syrup

First, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 250ml water, 300g granulated sugar, and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 23cm round baking pan or a similar-sized rectangular pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the 150g flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside. Roughly chop the 250g walnuts.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the 4 eggs and 200g granulated sugar with an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.

Gently fold in the 100g Greek yogurt, 100ml Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and the orange zest into the egg mixture.

Gradually fold in the dry flour mixture until just combined. Then, fold in the chopped walnuts. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once the cake is out of the oven, immediately pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot cake. The cake will absorb the syrup.

Let the Karidópita cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. Garnish with extra chopped walnuts if desired.