Greek Orange Cake (Pantespani)

Prepare syrup:
In a small sauce pan, make syrup. Bring to a boil orange juice (1 cup), water (1 cup), and sugar (1 cup). Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove syrup from stove and allow to go cold.

Prepare cake:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8×12 or 12’ diameter round cake pan, melt the butter and spread on all sides.

Mix flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

Separate egg yolks and whites. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form a stiff peak.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks until light yellow. Add sugar, orange zest, and vanilla and blend well.

To the egg yolk mixture, add the egg whites a little at a time, alternating with 2 Tbs of flour mixture until all used.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and allow to cool slightly. Poke holes in cake with skewer. Pour syrup over cake and allow to soak in.

Once cake has completely cooled, turn onto cake plate and serve.

Enjoy!