Karidopita (Greek Walnut Cake)

Ground walnuts and bits of chocolate in every bite!  Do you want it more sweet?  Then drench your Greek Walnut Cake (Karidopita) with more syrup — excellent for dessert or a mid-day snack!

What is karidopita?

It’s a classic Greek dessert that’s also called ‘karithopita‘ sometimes.  

Karidopita is a moist cake made from ground walnuts, so there is very little flour in it — plus it’s got chocolate bits.

Nuts and chocolate in a delicious cake that’s so easy to make — how can you say no to that? 🙂

IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL GREEK FOOD, YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Walnuts – chopped finely, or you can use a food processor to ground them (like I did in this recipe).

• Eggs – medium-sized eggs (63 to 73 grams per piece) at room temperature.

• Butter – unsalted and softened.

• Flour – all-purpose flour is all you need for preparing karidopita.

• Chocolate – dark chocolate and grated.

• Baking powder – just use your favorite brand.

• Sugar – regular granulated white sugar is excellent for making Greek walnut cake and light syrup.

• Cinnamon & cloves – both in powder form.

• Lemon – you would only be using lemon juice for the light syrup in this karidopita recipe.

Preparation

Start preparing your karidopita by preheating the oven to 180°C (350°F), greasing your cake pan with butter, then set it aside.

Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until you get a finer texture (photo 1).

Set the chopped walnuts aside for later.

Using a medium-sized bowl, sift and combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, and ground cloves (photo 2).

In a separate, bigger bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar (photo 3)

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between additions (photo 4).

Add the strained, dry ingredients from earlier (flour, spices, etc.) and combine everything.

Add the chopped walnuts and the grated chocolate (photo 5).

Fold to mix them evenly with the rest of the karidopita ingredients.

Pour your walnut cake batter into the prepared cake pan.

Use an angled spatula to even the top (photo 6).

Place the karidopita pan in the lower part of the oven for forty to forty-five minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Start with the light syrup by combining half-cup of sugar, half a cup of water, and two teaspoons of lemon juice in a small saucepan (photo 7).

Mix until the sugar dissolves, bring to a boil, and keep boiling for five minutes — DO NOT STIR.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Once your karidopita has cooled down, pour about five tablespoons of the light syrup on it (photo 8).

Give it a few minutes to absorb, then serve your Greek walnut cake — enjoy!

Helpful tips

• Try not to ground the walnuts too much — it’s nice to have some tiny bits of them left on the finished karidopita.

• Instead of using a grater, you can also use a food processor to prepare the chocolates.

• You can also use a square or rectangular cake pan for making karidopita, especially if you intend to cut (and serve) them in squares.

How to serve karidopita?

You can pour some brandy on top or add the liquor directly into the light syrup I’ve provided in this karidopita recipe.

Then pour the syrup before cutting the cake and more when serving it, if preferred.

Alternatively, you can just lightly dust karidopita with powdered sugar or serve it as it is — absolutely delicious.

So, give this Greek walnut cake recipe a try one of these days, and let me know! 🙂