INDOKARIDOPITA
Indokaridopita is a soft and moist Greek coconut cake that takes home baking to another level and will be a go to when you’re looking for a sweet treat to serve up. While traditional Greek sweets have long relied on ingredients such as nuts, honey, and citrus, coconut became increasingly popular during the 20th century, finding its way into cakes, biscuits, and festive treats. Indokaridopita combines the simplicity of a rustic sponge cake with the rich sweetness and texture of shredded coconut, creating a dessert that is both comforting and celebratory. It is commonly served at family gatherings, name days, and holiday tables, where its moist crumb and fragrant aroma make it a crowd pleaser.
Like many Greek cakes, indokaridopita is often finished with a sweet syrup that soaks into the sponge, giving it a luscious texture and helping it stay fresh for days. With the syrup I personally love a mix of lemon and cinnamon in it and then the optional cherry liqueur as cherry and coconut are just the perfect marriage in flavour, despite not being overly traditional. Once covered with desiccated coconut, it really becomes quite a beautiful but simple cake option, with a lovely browned shell with great texture to combo the moist and crumbly inside.
INDOKARIDOPITA
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INDOKARIDOPITA 〰️
Time: 1 hour + 20 minutes
Serves: 10-12
Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 lemon, peel & juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 table spoon cherry liqueur*
Cake
1/2 cup milk
1 & 1/2 cups desiccated coconut (+ extra for topping)
5 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 table spoon vanilla essence
1 table spoon cherry liqueur*
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups self raising flour
Big pinch salt
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius fan forced.
Prep medium sized deep baking dish with oiled rubbed into it and then lined with baking paper.
Start by making syrup. Place sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon stick in small pot and place on medium heat. Allow to melt, stirring as it does, and let come to a gently simmer. Simmer for 1 minute and take off heat and stir in lemon juice and cherry liqueur. Pour into small heat proof bowl and place in fridge to chill.
For the cake begin by adding milk and desiccated coconut into a small bowl and mix together to allow the coconut to absorb the milk. In seperate large bowl add in eggs and caster sugar and beat on high and until pale and thick (2 minutes). Add in the milk coconut mix, vanilla essence and cherry liqueur and beat on medium to combine, and with the beater still doing slowly your in the olive oil until all incorporated and homogenous. Add in salt and self raising flour in two batches, folding into the wet mixture until combined and no flour is visible.
Pour the cake batter into the lined baking dish and place into the oven for 30 - 45 minutes, but this will heavily depend on the baking tray used. A larger one with a more spread out cake, a deeper and smaller one will be closer to 45 minutes. If in doubt just pop a toothpick into the middle and when it comes out clean pull the cake out.
Once the cake comes out of the oven quickly poke a bunch of holes all over the top with a toothpick before pouring the cold syrup over the top whilst still hot and, once syrup and seeped in cover the top with a layer of desiccated coconut. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before removing from tray and cutting up to enjoy.