Galaktoboureko or Greek milk cake

This recipe is very easy to prepare and at the same time it is a delicious dessert, very creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Galaktoboureko (γαλακτομπούρεκο) is one of the most typical desserts of Greek pastries. Basically it is puff pastry or phyllo dough with a custard cream. It does not have a specific pattern, depending on the area of ​​Greece they prepare it in one way or another. The one I present to you is the classic galaktoboureko garnished with caramel and cinnamon instead of presented with syrup. I am not going to deceive you about the calories, it is not a dessert as dense and caloric as the baklava but it is forceful, if you mix it on these dates with a little ice cream you will find a simple and very rich recipe. Go for it this weekend!

Preparation of the milk cake

1. Beat the eggs with the sugar until the liquid foams a little. We continue beating for another 2 minutes while adding the semolina, lemon juice, grated lemon peel and orange. We continue beating and add the milk and the 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Beat approximately for another 6 minutes until it is like a light cream.
2. We are preheated the oven to 180º C so that when we put the galaktoboureko it is hot.
3. We introduce the previous filling in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it is like a béchamel sauce, always beating with some rods so that there are no lumps in the cream. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
4. Spread half of the phyllo sheets with the butter and put them in a sponge cake pan previously greased with butter. The sheets will be superimposed, in this case they are 5 sheets, and we let it stand out on the sides of the mold, as if it were an apple pie. The rest will be to cover the cake.
5. We add the milk cream in the container. We spread the cream evenly on the bottom of the mold and on the sides, without voids and without air bubbles. And at the end we wrap the cream with the edges of the excess phyllo from the sides.
6. Cover with the rest of the sheets the mold pressing a little so that there is no air left and mark the pasta slightly with a knife drawing rhombuses or squares (this is to decorate but also so that later with the syrup or caramel it is soaked all right).
7. We put the galaktoboureko at 180º C for about 30 minutes until the cream is curdled and the phyllo paste is browned on top.
8. Prepare the syrup or caramel by introducing the water into a saucepan and when it is boiling add the sugar and the tablespoon of lemon for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until it is the consistency and color of the honey. We let it temper to throw it when we take the cake out of the oven.
9. We remove the cake from the oven and add the caramel. Let it cool for 2-3 hours and serve it sprinkled with a little cinnamon (this is optional).

I assure you that it is very good and it is quite easy, it was the first time I did it and it does not have much science. And you can leave it in the fridge for several days that is just as good or even more than the first.