Sokolatopita, a Greek chocolate cake soaked in syrup
Σοκολατόπιτα. Is there anything better than chocolate cake? A great chocolate cake recipe is like the little black dress (or suit!) in your closet. A staple, an always reliable option, and on occasion, the most appropriate choice. If you’re like us however, your closet has more than one little black dress. Sometimes you want sexy. Sometimes classy. Sometimes serious and sometimes flashy. In the same way, your repertoire of chocolate cake recipes should really include a few different choices, and one of these choices should definitely be a Greek chocolate cake called sokolatopita!
Sokolatopita is a special cake in that it is soaked in a delicious chocolate syrup. Greeks love to syrup-soak cakes – there are a whole class of them called siropiasta which include delicious desserts like samali, pantespani and revani with coconut. It’s no surprise then that when Greeks make chocolate cake, they pour syrup all over it! If you are feeling particularly decadent you can also add some ganache. We like to serve the ganache on the side, so that anyone who would like some can enjoy it.
Helpful hints
What is sokolatopita?
Chocolate in Greek is sokolata. Sokolatopita is a Greek chocolate cake. It is made with cocoa powder and after it is baked a chocolate syrup is poured all over it. This gives the cake a moist crumb and an intense chocolate flavour. If you like you can also top it with some ganache, but this is totally optional.
What type of cocoa powder do we use to make sokolatopita?
For this Greek chocolate cake you want to use unsweetened cocoa powder or even Dutch process cocoa powder. We have made the cake with both, and both work out just fine. You can learn more about the different types of cocoa powder here.
How long does this Greek chocolate cake stay fresh?
Sokolatopita can stay tasting fresh for 2 – 3 days at room temperature, so long as it is well covered. If you will be keeping it for any longer, store it in the refrigerator where it will keep well up to 5 – 6 days.
Can sokolatopita be frozen?
It can! We prefer to store the baked cake in the freezer without the syrup. We wrap it really well in plastic wrap (with the pan) and then freeze. We thaw it out on the counter overnight. When it comes time to serve we prepare the syrup, poke holes in our cake and pour the hot syrup over the room temperature cake. If you are planning to freeze your sokolatopita be sure to bake it in a freezer safe pan.
Why do we poke holes in our Greek chocolate cake after it bakes?
Using a skewer to poke holes all over your cake is really important in order to have the syrup soak through easily. Unlike the syrup for cakes like portokalopita, the syrup for sokolatopita is a bit thick because of the cocoa. If you don’t poke holes, the syrup will not easily penetrate the cake. If you prefer, you can actually use a knife to score the pieces of cake and pour your syrup after that. This may be a good option if you don’t have a skewer – using a toothpick will not be enough (the holes will be too small).
How long does it take to bake a Greek chocolate cake or sokolatopita?
Traditionally you bake this cake in a rectangular baking pan and it is not very thick. Baking takes about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Test your cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. Your cake is done if the toothpick comes out clean, or with a few crumbs attached to it.
If you love our Greek chocolate cake (Sokolatopita) we think you’ll also love these other classic Greek desserts:
Galaktoboureko (Γαλακτομπούρεκο)
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Greek chocolate cake (Sokolatopita)
Equipment
- 1 small pot
- 1 Medium size bowl
- 1 Skewer (for poking holes in cake)
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the cake
- 1½ cups flour
- ¾ cups cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⅓ cups milk room temperature
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 3 eggs, large room temperature
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest optional
- oil or butter for greasing the pan
For the ganache (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
Prepare the syrup
- Combine the sugar, water and cinnamon stick in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add in the cocoa powder and whisk until there are no lumps of cocoa. Set aside to cool.1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.1½ cups flour, ¾ cups cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and the sugar for 5 minutes at medium speed.1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, large
- To the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk, melted butter and orange zest.1⅓ cups milk, ½ cup butter, melted, 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix at medium speed until just combined.
- Grease the bottom and sides of your baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.oil or butter for greasing the pan
- As soon as your cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the syrup over the cake and set aside until the syrup has been entirely soaked into the cake. Allow to cool before serving.
For the ganache (optional)
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and bubble around the edges of the pot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Mix well with a whisk or fork – the chocolate should melt. Serve the ganache along with your cake, if desired.½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
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