Kardidipita Recipe - Does this look right?

[dpappas87]

My friend gave me a recipe for her karidopita without instructions. Do the ingredients look right? She explained the situation verbally:

For the Cake:​

• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina (or use an additional 1/2 cup of flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1/2 cup milk
• Zest of 1 orange

For the Syrup:​

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2-3 whole cloves

What do you guys think?

 

[k_tsoukalas]

Your friend’s recipe looks pretty solid! The ingredient list aligns well with traditional karidopita (Greek walnut cake). A few thoughts:

• The flour and semolina combo is correct! Semolina gives the cake a slightly coarser texture, which is authentic. If you substitute with more flour, the cake will be softer.
• The walnut quantity is good—karidopita is all about that rich walnut flavor. Make sure they’re finely chopped but not ground into a powder.
• The spice blend (cinnamon and cloves) is on point, adding the signature warm aroma but feel free to add a little more cinnamon if you want!
• For the syrup, the sugar-to-water ratio looks right, and the orange juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves will give it great depth.

One tip: When pouring the syrup, make sure the cake is warm and the syrup is hot, or vice versa, to absorb properly.