Phanouropita Mini Bundt Cakes

I first heard of Phanouropita a few years ago when my Presvytera friend, Alexis, introduced me to them one morning at her home. She had the genius idea of making her Phanouropita (St Phanourios cake) into donuts that can easily be shared! You can read the story I shared on my blog a few years ago here. The following year, we made Phanouropita together into mini bundt cakes and it has officially become my favorite way to make them! These delightful mini cakes make for the perfect sharable treat! I’m a huge fan of food connections when it comes to celebrating feasts. St Phanourios’ feast day is August 27th, so this is a great reason to make Phanouropita!

Scroll down to read more about who St Phanourios is and the tradition of Phanouropita!

The Tradition of the Phanouropita (Fanouropita) - The tradition of the Phanouropita (St Phanourios cake) is a Greek and Cypriot tradition, but has been adopted in many regions throughout the Orthodox world. Phanouropita is simple, vegan cake with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and orange juice. It is typically made using either 7 or 9 ingredients (holy numbers in the Church). The faithful make this cake whenever the saint helps reveals a lost object, or anything else the person has sought to find, is found. It is also a tradition for each person to say a prayer for St. Phanourios’ mother when eating their slice of the cake. The cakes (pita) can also be brought to church to be blessed and shared with others. Another appropriate opportunity to make this cake is on his Feast Day August 27th.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups vegetable oil (or other seed oil)

2-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups warm water

Grated rind of 1 orange

1/2 cup orange juice (fresh orange juice is best)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp baking powder

4 cups white flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift flower, baking powder and cinnamon together in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Using a wisk, combine oil and sugar until blended.

4. Add the warm water, orange rind, orange juice and walnuts and mix well.

5. Slowly add the flour mixture and combine until smooth.

6. Add raisins and walnuts (if adding).

7. Pour batter into well greased mini bundt pans.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

9. Cool on a wire rack.

10. Top with powdered sugar.

Recipe originally published by Figs & Feta Blog, which is no longer available online.

*** We ordered our mini bundt cake pan from Amazon which you can see here

Who is St Phanourious (Fanourious)? In Rhodes, Greece - there was a group of pirates, who had pillaged the island of Rhodes, uncovered amid the ruins of an ancient church a group of icons, among other artifacts. All of the icons were in a state of decay or near ruin with the exception of one, which appeared as new and as fresh as though it had been painted the day before. This icon was discarded by the pirates, who failed to attach any importance to it. At a safe distance, a group of monks hiding in the rubble observed this phenomenon and waited patiently until them to leave the scene, and then they rushed to reclaim the icon in its remarkable state of preservation. They saw a clearly outlined face of a saint with the name inscribed in what appeared to be fresh lettering that spelled out "Phanourios" and on closer examination noticed there were twelve distinct frames in each of which Phanourios was shown enduring a cruel form of torture in a realism that suggested the artist must have been witness to the atrocity. They rushed back to see if any of the other icons were in as perfect a state, but although they were all of the same basic design, size, and shape, all of them were quite ancient and quite indistinct. After careful scrutiny it was finally concluded that this icon of Phanourios had, indeed, been one of a group that had been exhumed after untold centuries and that its freshness was a divine manifestation of the complete saintliness of this man about whom they were now determined to learn more. The icon of St Phanourios was lost for centuries in the ruins of a church, and became the patron saint of things lost. You can read more about his life in my August Feast Day Guide here. His feast day is August 27th!

My friend, Sylvia, of Orthodox Mom shared on her blog a beautiful icon of St. Phanourios located at the church of St. Syridon in Palos Heights, IL. St. She told her readers that Spyridon’s church also has a beautiful little book that contains the life and Paraklesis service to the saint. Call 708.385.0787 to order a copy. It is the only book available on St. Phanourios! She also shared a traditional recipe for a phanouropita here.

Happy Feasting!

Khouria Destinie

(Images courtesy of The Little Kitchen Blog)