5 days left until Christmas is here! I thought, why not share 5 days of delicious Greek sweet and savory recipes?

I have an exciting Greek Christmas dessert for you. I love creating new recipes inspired by traditional ones, so here’s a twist on our favorite karidopita cake. Karidopita, or Greek walnut cake, is so delicious and always reminds me of Christmas. The flavors of walnuts, cloves, cinnamon, and an orange or lemon brandy sugar syrup make it truly shine.

Why not use this same recipe to create a beautiful walnut roll cake? Fill the cake with a light mascarpone cherry buttercream, and the result is incredible! You get the best flavors and a stunning dessert to include on your table!

Let’s get to the cooking!

Notes:

• Use the exact recipe I have for karidopita below. You do not need to change any measurements but you do need to use the exact pan size I recommend below. 
• When soaking the cake only use half the syrup because you use a lightly sweetened frosting You do not want this cake overly sweet. 
• Do not poke holes inside the cake as this may make it fall apart when rolling. 
• I would make the frosting before the cake. This ensures that the cake will be ready in minutes once it is cooled down to roll. 
• You can find this karidopita recipe in my first cookbook; Back To My Roots. 

Karidopita Roll Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12 wheat crackers or graham crackers
• 2/3 pound of walnuts
• 4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp of ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 9 x 13 sheet pan or jelly roll pan

Syrup ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 strips of orange peel or lemon peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup brandy

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place parchment paper inside a 9 x 13 greased sheet pan. Make sure the parchment paper covers the entire dish. Then lightly grease the parchment paper.
2. Use a mixer to beat egg whites until stiff. Then place the egg yolks inside another mixer bowl, and beat with sugar until yellow and pale. Add the vanilla.
3. Next, grind the wheat or graham crackers into a food processor. Add in the walnuts and pulse until they are crushed into small pieces. Place the crumb mixture into a medium-sized bowl and add cinnamon, baking powder, salt, cloves, lemon, and orange zest. Add in the egg yolk mixture and stir. Slowly fold in the egg whites in 3 different additions.
4. Pour the batter into the sheet pan. Then smooth out the batter with a flat spatula. Bake in the middle rack for about 15-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled down lightly brush the syrup over the cake. You do not want it soaked; you want a light wash over the cake. Set the cake aside.
5. Gently remove the cake from the pan and leave the parchment underneath. Place on a flat surface. Spread the frosting over the cake leaving about a 1/2 inch border without cream. Time to roll the cake up! Take the parchment paper lift gently and let the cake roll naturally over. Gently roll with the parchment paper until it is all tightly rolled up.  Once the cake is rolled up remove the parchment paper and then tightly roll the cake in plastic wrap. This will ensure the cake will keep its shape and then chill in the fridge for about an hour or until ready to serve. Serve with powdered sugar and a few cherries over the top.

Mascarpone cherry buttercream frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese, room temp
• 1/2 cup of cream cheese, room temp
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (use more if needed)
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream, room temp
• 1/4 cup of cherry compote, room temp + 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar

Method:

Puree the cherries in a blender with a tablespoon of sugar. Taste the cherry compote first to see how tart they are. In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese, heavy cream, and sugar. Beat just until combined into a creamy consistency then add in the cherry compote. If your frosting is too tart add more sugar. Once the frosting is done set aside until ready to use.

**Happy holidays to you and your loved ones! If you make this recipe please tag us on social media using hashtag #cookingwithkouzounaskitchen.