This Greek Citrus Pie Is Actually a Cake—and It's Shockingly Simple to Make

Ingredients (18)

• 2 cups granulated sugar (14.2 ounces; 400 g)
• 2 cups (480 ml) water or chai (see notes)
• 2/3 cups (175 ml) fresh orange or tangerine juice, plus zest (from 2 whole oranges or 3 whole tangerines)
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) orange blossom water, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, optional
• 1/2 orange or 1 whole tangerine, cut into 12 pieces (roughly chopped into 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch pieces or sliced thinly into half moons), optional
• 450 g (1 pound) store-bought frozen phyllo sheets, defrosted (see notes)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces; 200 g)
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 4 large whole eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, divided
• 1 cup (240 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt (preferably strained Greek-style yogurt)
• 2/3 cups (175 ml) fresh orange juice from 2 oranges (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• Plain whole-milk strained Greek-style yogurt, sour cream, or vanilla ice cream for serving, optional