Locally called politiko Thessalonikis, this rich cake is topped with a blanket of ground cinnamon. Originating from the vibrant city of Thessaloniki, a port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, this cake is known for its luxurious, moist texture and aromatic spice and is a beloved treat in households across northern Greece. Think of it as a Greek version of Italian tiramisù!
Greek Custard Cake
Makes 1 (13x9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (304 grams) semolina flour
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 grams) plain whole Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
- Crème Diplomate (recipe follows)
- Garnish: ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together semolina, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to semolina mixture, and whisk until well combined. Spread batter into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake, uncovered, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 205°F (96°C), 18 to 25 minutes. Immediately spoon Cinnamon Simple Syrup evenly onto hot cake. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Spread Crème Diplomate onto cooled cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving or up to overnight. Just before serving, garnish with cinnamon, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
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Cinnamon Simple Syrup
Makes about 1â…“ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 grams) water
- â…› teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring sugar, 1 cup (240 grams) water, and cinnamon to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Let cool completely before using.
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Crème Diplomate
Makes about 7 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups (960 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 8 large egg yolks (149 grams)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (240 grams) cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat milk and ½ cup (100 grams) sugar over medium heat, whisking constantly, until steaming. (Do not boil.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and remaining ½ cup (100 grams) sugar. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.
- Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl. Whisk in butter in two additions until melted and well combined. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until thick and cold, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- In a chilled large bowl, using a chilled balloon whisk, whisk cold cream until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk cold pastry cream until smooth. Fold into whipped cream in three additions. Use immediately.
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This is an investment in time and ingredients. Be sure to read the recipe all the way through several times as there is much preparing and cooling to be undertaken. It will take parts of two days to complete the cake. Was it worth it? Honestly, it was all a bit bland. The custard was definitely egg-forward but the cake – which was super-moist – needed more going on. It had a very pleasant mouth feel and it wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t great.
I made this for a dinner party (which had a Greek theme since I served Moussaka) and everyone loved this. I cannot comment on the full recipe since I used custard powder to make the topping instead of making the pastry cream from scratch (hence the four stars). That was certainly a time and material saving. Loved the syrup soaked bottom. Thank you for this special cake that my friends could not buy in the store.