Karidopita Recipe (Greek Walnut Cake With Syrup)

This karidopita recipe makes the most perfectly moist, spiced, syrup-soaked Greek walnut cake. It smells unreal while it’s baking, tastes even better, and has that sweet crunch that hits just right. Enjoy it with a scoop of ice cream and a Greek coffee, trust me, you can’t go wrong!

If you're looking for another Greek dessert to have with your café, try my Milopita (Greek apple cake) or my Indokaridopita (Greek coconut cake). Both are simple, full of flavour, and perfect for a quick midday snack.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• Watch the video tutorial
• Ingredients
• Preparation
• Step-by-step cooking instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Top tips
• Storage
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Why you will love this recipe

• Perfectly moist: The cooled syrup gently soaks into the warm cake, giving it a soft, rich texture all the way through. It holds together beautifully and stays fresh for days.
• Perfectly spiced: With just the right amount of cinnamon and clove, it’s full of warm, cosy Greek flavours that feel like Yiayia and Pappou’s house.
• Crunchy, nutty goodness: Using both finely ground and coarsely crushed walnuts gives the cake great texture. You get flavour in every bite with just enough crunch to keep it interesting.
• Simple to make: This delicious cake is easy to make, perfect to prepare ahead, and tastes even better the next day!

Watch the video tutorial

Follow along with my step-by-step video and see how this karidopita recipe comes together from start to finish.

If you enjoy this recipe, don’t forget to like, comment, and share it with someone who would loves delicious Greek desserts as well.

Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this Greek walnut cake so special. As always, check the recipe card below for exact amounts.

For the syrup

• Water and Sugar: The base for nearly every proper Greek syrup. This ratio works perfectly for a tray this size and keeps the cake moist without overdoing it.
• Lemon Juice: I squeeze in the juice of one whole lemon. It adds a fresh lift to the syrup and balances the sweetness. Some people go for orange, but lemon wins it for me with this cake.
• Cinnamon Stick and Whole Cloves: They infuse the syrup with the perfect amount of warm spices, and you can smell that classic Greek aroma as it cools.

For the cake

• Self-raising flour: Sift it in so it helps keep the texture smooth and gives the batter a bit more lift.
• Unsalted butter: Melted so it blends in easily. It adds that rich, buttery flavour without overdoing it. Too much and the cake can turn a bit dense once it cools.
• Light olive oil: I use light olive oil here because it's mild and doesn't take over the flavour. You can use vegetable oil instead, but I prefer to avoid it.
• Brandy or Cognac: Just a shot gives the cake extra depth. It’s a spirit we often use in my family for baking, and it works perfectly with the spices.
• Ground cinnamon and ground cloves: The classic spice combo again. As the cake bakes, these fill the kitchen with a warm, sweet smell that’s hard to beat.
• Ground walnuts: These mix right into the cake batter and add nutty flavour all the way through.
• Coarsely crushed walnuts: I like to crush them by hand. They make every bite more interesting and add a nice texture without being too chunky.
• Sugar: Adds sweetness to the batter, but not too much. The syrup will take care of the rest.
• Whole eggs: They help bind the batter and give the cake structure without making it too heavy.
• Salt: Just a pinch to round everything out.

Preparation

I love getting everything ready before I start cooking because it makes the whole process easier. Here’s how I set up for this karidopita:

• Measure out your ingredients: Get everything measured and ready so you’re not rushing once you start.
• Melt the butter: Melt the butter gently over a low heat and set it aside to cool slightly, so it’s ready when you need it.
• Prepare the walnuts:
  • Half the walnuts go into the food processor. Blitz until they’re nice and fine.
  • For the other half, leave them chunky.
  • Chop them roughly by hand, or put them in a bag like I do and hit them with a rolling pin.
• Line your baking tray: Take your time to cut out a perfect circle of baking paper, especially if you're using the same size tray as me. It helps the cake come out cleanly after baking.

Step-by-step cooking instructions

Follow these simple steps using the images below to guide you through each part. If you get stuck or want to see the whole process, make sure to watch my video for extra help.

Make the syrup

1. Combine the ingredients: In a saucepan, add the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. This syrup brings just the right sweetness and aromatic spice to your karidopita.
2. Bring to a boil: Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, letting it bubble for about one minute. This dissolves the sugar completely and infuses the syrup with warm spices.
3. Cool completely: Turn off the heat, remove the syrup from the stove, and let it cool down fully. This step’s important because cooled syrup poured over the warm cake gives it the perfect moist texture.

Prepare the cake batter

1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 160°C fan-forced (320°F) so it’s ready when the batter is done.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the whole eggs and sugar together until the mixture is thick, pale, and creamy. This helps give the cake a light, fluffy texture.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Pour in the melted butter, light olive oil, brandy, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Mix everything together until smooth and well combined.
4. Add the walnuts: Stir in both the finely ground walnuts and the coarsely crushed walnuts.
5. Sift in the flour: Finally, sift the flour straight into the bowl and gently mix until everything comes together. 

Baking and soaking

1. Prepare the baking dish: Grease your baking dish and line the base with baking paper. Take your time to cut the paper neatly to fit, especially if you're using a round tray.
2. Pour the batter: Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth out the surface evenly.
3. Bake and poke the cake: Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check the centre with a skewer to make sure it comes out clean. As soon as it’s out of the oven, use the skewer to poke holes all over the top to help the syrup soak through.
4. Pour the syrup and let it rest: Slowly ladle the cooled syrup over the hot cake, letting it soak in evenly. Leave it at room temperature for a few hours until fully cooled and soaked through.
5. Flip and serve: Once cooled, I like to run a knife gently around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides. Carefully remove it from the tin, flip it onto a serving plate, slice into portions, and garnish with extra walnuts if you like.

Serving suggestions

• Topped with Walnuts: Sprinkle some extra crushed walnuts over the top just before serving. It adds a fresh crunch and makes each slice look even better.
• With Ice Cream: Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold creamy texture goes perfectly with the warm spiced cake and sweet syrup.
• The Ultimate Coffee Cake: This is proper café material. Serve it with a strong Greek coffee for the full experience. You can also serve it alongside other Greek treats like my kataifi rolls, koulourakia, or paximadia for a full kafeneio-style spread.
• The Perfect Dessert After Dinner: This cake makes the perfect finish to a warming Greek meal. Serve it after dishes like my slow cooked Greek lamb shoulder, slow cooked lamb chops, fasolakia, or soutzoukakia. The warm spices and syrup tie everything together beautifully.

Top tips

• Prep the walnuts properly: Blitz half nice and fine, and leave the other half chunky for that perfect bite in every slice.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Once the flour goes in, mix just enough to bring everything together. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
• Line the tray properly with baking paper: Don’t skip this. The baking paper makes it so much easier to flip the cake out cleanly once it’s cooled.
• Rest the cake before serving: Let it fully soak up the syrup and cool down before you flip and slice it.

Storage

• Room temperature: This cake is best kept at room temperature, well covered, for up to 2 days. The syrup keeps it moist and the flavours shine more when it’s not cold.
• Fridge: After 2 days, move it to the fridge. It will keep for another 3 days, with a total shelf life of about 5 days.

FAQ

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