The base of this traditional Balearic dessert is usually made with leftover ensaimada—a spiral-shaped sweet pastry. Similar to a bread pudding, greixonera consists of pieces of ensaimada that are combined with milk and eggs and the whole combination is then baked until firm and golden brown.
The cake is often flavored with cinnamon or lemon zest, and it is traditionally served bottom-side-up, and comes dusted with ground cinnamon. Greixonera is typically prepared in the days following certain special events with the leftover ensaimada.