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A partially cut St. Phanourios cake on a wooden slab on a wooden chair.
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5 / 8 votes

Saint Phanourios’s Cake

This nut and spice cake, known as phanouropita, is a traditional offering to Saint Phanourios, the patron saint of lost things, in return for helping to find something. Regardless of whether you have lost anything or not, it's well worth making.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 355

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice, (from about 3 oranges)
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Confectioners sugar, for dusting (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Oil the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or a Bundt or loaf pan of equal volume. Dust the pan with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, brandy, and sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in the chopped walnuts.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. In small batches, add the flour mixture to the brandy mixture, whisking vigorously as you go. Continue whisking until completely combined. Tradition dictates that you're supposed to whisk for 9 minutes by hand.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Before putting the cake into the oven, pause to say whatever kind of prayer you feel comfortable with as you focus on the thing you hope to find. (Greek Orthodox women always make the sign of the cross, but the cake won't suffer if you skip this step.)

    ☞ TESTER TIP: The batter will be very thick and slightly gummy—not to worry. And if it seems impossibly thick, you can always splash in another tablespoon of brandy.

  • Bake the cake until the top looks hard and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove the cake and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Traditionally, the cake is given away whole or cut into 9 pieces and shared with others. If you're serving the cake at home, you may want to sift a little confectioners' sugar over the top before slicing. The cake dries out easily, so if you do cut into it, make sure to wrap any leftovers well, first in plastic wrap and then in foil, or store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g