Let Them Eat Cake!

I love cake. I love all versions of cake! You know what I mean, muffins, donuts buttermilk bars, banana bread. I love how people justify eating cake for breakfast by calling it a muffin. I know, I know, I do it too. After all, why do they call it coffee cake if you’re not supposed to eat it for breakfast? My sister allows herself two donuts for the whole year. I know, I know, how does she do it but you see her definition of a donut does not include cake. Ah, another way to eat all the cake you want, just not donuts. I figure it’s not time for my diet until the New Year and that isn’t until tomorrow so today I will live it up and eat all the cake I want without the guilt of a new year. 

So I made this cake using phyllo dough, I just know I can find a way to categorize this recipe so I can eat it all year long without calling it cake but for now I will just eat it and take my time thinking about the possibilities. Anyway, here is the recipe for a Ginger Orange Cake made with phyllo dough that is soaked in sweet, rich ginger syrup made with Domaine de Canton Liqueur. This cake is meant to be served at room temperature and just gets better the longer it soaks in the syrup.       

 

Ginger-Orange Phyllo Cake

16oz phyllo dough, thawed
2 medium oranges
4 eggs
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon baking powder

Ginger-Orange syrup
2 cups sugar
¾ cup water
6oz Domaine de Canton Liqueur

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 9x13 baking pan with olive oil.
Remove the phyllo from its packaging. Take 2 or 3 sheets and roughly tear into shreds. Repeat until all phyllo sheets have been shredded. Leave the phyllo shreds out to dry a little while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Cut one orange in half, and slice that half into very thin half-moons to garnish the cake. Zest and juice the remaining oranges.

Combine the 1/3 cup orange juice, zest, eggs, yogurt, olive oil, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder in a bowl, blender or food processor. Blend together on high speed for a couple of minutes, till the mixture is frothy.

Loosely place the ½ the phyllo shreds in the prepared baking pan. Pour half of the orange and egg mixture over the phyllo. Stir together gently, repeat with remaining phyllo and orange mixture. Decorate the top of the cake with the thinly sliced oranges.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling set. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

While the cake is baking, combine all of the syrup ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer about 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken or reduce slightly. Remove from the heat. Using a skewer or toothpick poke holes in the top of the phyllo cake. Pour the sauce over the top and let the syrup soak in for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.