Phanouropita or Fanouropita (St. Fanourios cake), The Greek cake for lost things

Learn how to make phanouropita (or fanouropita), a meaningful lenten cake that is baked to honour the Feast Day of Saint Phanourios, the patron saint of lost things. We celebrate Saint Phanourios on August 27th in the Orthodox church by baking this cake which is made with simple ingredients, including raisins and nuts. It is moist, easy and the only phanouropita recipe you will need.

On August 27 the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Phanourios (pronounced “fan-OO-ree-os”) (or Saint Fanourios), the Martyr and Miracle Worker. The saint’s name sounds similar to the Greek verb “phanerono,” which means “to reveal” or “to disclose”. In fact, people pray to Saint Phanourios to help them find lost objects, to reveal lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, to redirect them or reveal actions which should be taken, and to restore health. When a lost object is discovered, or when prayers reveal what is needed, a symbolic cake called a phanouropita is baked and brought to the church where it is blessed by the priest and then distributed among the parishioners.

Why I love this recipe

This cake is full of meaning, and I love how symbolic it is. I truly appreciate all of the rituals which go along with it, including when and why it is baked, and how it is brought to church to be blessed.

At the same time, I love that this is a really great cake! It is made with only 9 simple ingredients which I usually always have on hand.

The fact that this cake is vegan is another bonus. I am able to make it for people who are not eating eggs or dairy either because they are vegan, have allergies, or are fasting for Orthodox lent! Trust me, you won’t miss these ingredients.

Key ingredients

Traditionally a phanouropita is going to contain either 7 or 9 basic ingredients. My version has 9 ingredients (well, technically 10 if you include the powdered sugar that is optional at the end)

Flour – sifted all purpose flour is the basis of this cake. Sifting the flour keeps your cake light and airy.

Baking powder – since I use regular flour, you do need to add a leavening agent so that the cake rises

Salt – don’t omit the salt when you are baking. It does wonders to enhance the flavour of your baked goods.

Cinnamon – a traditional spice in this cake

Sugar – white granulated sugar is the sweetener in this cake. It offers a mild taste

Olive oil – I love baking with olive oil, and in this cake you can really taste the fruity, rich flavour

Orange juice – keeping this cake lenten, the liquid that is added is orange juice. The OJ helps deepen the colour and flavour of this cake.

Raisins – I love to use golden raisins; they sort of mix in with the batter and are barely visible but you do taste their sweetness!

Walnuts – chopped walnuts are so amazing in my phanouropita. They offer a great texture and flavour.

Powdered sugar (optional) – sometimes I like to dust the top of my phanouropita with powdered sugar.

How to make

Baking a phanouropita is really quite simple with my fail proof recipe. Simple follow the easy steps, and enjoy!

Preparation

• Measure out your flour, and then sift it.
• Chop up your walnuts.
• Preheat your oven.
• Prepare your 10 inch baking pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the sides.

Step 1

In a medium size bowl combine the sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sugar, olive oil and orange juice. Use the paddle attachment of your mixer until well combined.

Step 3

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer speed set to very low.

Step 4

Once combined, add in the walnuts and raisins. Mix until just well combined.

Baking

Step 1

Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 45 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 2

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Serving

If desired, dust with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe Variations

You can definitely make some substitutions to my phanouropita recipe. Here are a few changes you can make.

Oil

If you prefer to use a lighter flavoured oil, or if you are fasting from olive oil, the substitute it with an equal amount of either vegetable or canola oil.

Omit the raisins and walnuts

If you prefer to keep the recipe even simpler, omit the raisins and walnuts. This will maintain your recipe at 7 ingredients, which is important because traditionally a phanouropita has either 7 or 9 ingredients.

Raisins

I love using golden raisins in my phanouropita but if you prefer to use dark raisins you can do so. The look and taste of your cake will be different, but still delicious.

Nuts

Instead of walnuts you can opt to use another nut. Chopped pecans, hazelnuts or even slivered almonds would work well here.

Why bake a phanouropita

Baking a phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a Greek and Cypriot custom and is an acknowledgement of the intercendence of Saint Phanourious. It is not a Holy Tradition, yet it has been welcomed and adopted by the church formerly as a short blessing service offered at Vespers services and / or just before the Liturgy finishes on August 27, the Feast Day of Saint Phanourios.

Who is Saint Phanourios?

Little is known about Saint Phanourios beyond the fact that he lived during the Roman period and was persecuted because of his Christian beliefs. In fact, everything that we know about him – his life, his martyrdom, and even his name – was revealed by an icon discovered several centuries after he lived. His Feast day became the anniversary of the icon’s discovery, the 27th of August.

The discovery of Saint Phanourios’ icon

Tradition states that when the island of Rhodes fell to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the new Muslim occupiers wished to rebuild the walls around the city. To do so, the stones from several ruined buildings near the fortress were transported and used to build and reinforce the wall. While this work was being done, a beautiful church that had been destroyed was discovered and it contained many icons. The majority were damaged so severely that they were unidentifiable but the icon of Saint Phanourios was perfectly intact. The icon depicts a young man dressed as a Roman soldier. In his right hand he holds a spear and in his left a cross and a lit candle. Around the perimeter of the icon are 12 events of martyrdom that the Saint suffered. The inscription reads “Saint Fanourios” meaning “Revealer” in Greek.

The Turkish soldiers who found the icon did not see any value in it and left it amid the ruins where it was later found by a group of Orthodox monks. The monks then brought it to their Bishop, Metropolitan Nilus of Rhodes, who read the inscription and, not recognizing the name, declared him to be a newly-discovered Saint. As a result of the unique manner in which this icon, and Saint Phanourios, were discovered, St. Phanourios is considered the patron saint of lost things.

The tradition of the phanouropita and Saint Phanourios’ mother.

Although there is very little known about the life of Saint Phanourios many believe that his mother was a sinful woman during her life. Therefore, when the phanouropita is offered to the church, many will express the phrase “May God grant rest to the soul of Saint Phanourios’ mother”. The church itself does not endorse this position as information about Saint Phanourios is lacking, and information about his mother is practically non-existant.

What is a phanouropita (or fanouropita)?

A Phanouropita (or fanouropita) is a small lenten (vegan) cake that can be baked any day of the week, except on Sunday. It traditionally consists of 7 or 9 ingredients representing the seven Holy Sacraments of the Church or the nine angelic choirs.

The baking of phanouropita is a centuries old tradition and therefore there will certainly be some variations between recipes, however most recipes are pretty similar. Regardless of the actual recipe, there is one unbreakable rule: Before you begin baking, take a moment to think of something you’d like Saint Phanourios to help you find—keep this in mind as you make the cake!

Related recipes

If you are looking to learn about more traditional and symbolic recipes, you should check these out!

Christopsomo (Greek Christmas bread) is a bread that we make at Christmas time.

Vasilopita (New Year’s Day cake). This cake has a coin hidden in it. The person who receives the piece with the coin will have good luck the following year.

Tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) An amazingly fragrant braided bread that uses masticha and mahlep. There is nothing like it!

Lagana (Greek flat bread) This flavourful flat bread is usually made on Clean Monday, the first day of Great Lent. It is typically served with a variety of lenten spread, olives and tomatoes.

Thanks for sharing!