The traditional way to make Greek walnut cake Karithopita

Karithopita (Walnut Cake) This a traditional Greek cake, it is often served socially when people visit, and we also used to serve it in our restaurant. It it’s a great snack and can be made into a fancier dessert with vanilla ice cream. Makes 1 9 x 13 | cut into 18 small pieces 5 large eggs, at room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup whole milk 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped Syrup 3 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cinnamon stick Lemon peel (a strip of lemon about 2-inches long and 1-inch wide) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat them for about 5 minutes to aerate the eggs. Add oil and beat well. Add vanilla, cinnamon, milk and beat one more time. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and flour to a mixing bowl and stir everything together. Add the flour of the stand mixer with the power on low, mix until the flour is just combined, scraping down the sides as needed as you go. Use a spatula to fold the walnuts into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown. The cake should be browned on top, and a cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Make the syrup while the cake bakes Add the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel to a saucepan and bring the heat to medium and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely. Discard the cinnamon stick before pouring the syrup. Finish the Cake: The key to getting the syrup to properly absorb in the cake is to make sure the cake is hot and the syrup is cool. When the cake has come out of the oven, cut it into 12 pieces with sharp knife. Carefully, pour the syrup over the cut, hot cake and allow it to soak up the syrup. Let the cake rest to absorb the syrup for about 5 minutes. Then serve!