Vasilopita – Greek New Year’s Wish Cake

In every traditional Greek household the New Year is brought in with the cutting of the Vasilopita. This cake brings so much excitement to every family, because nestled somewhere inside the cake is a flouri (coin) and whoever gets it in their piece is said to have luck and be blessed for the whole year. The idea is that no one knows where the coin is. Slices are cut and named for every person of the household and one for Christ, the Virgin Mary, the house and the poor. It is this sense of celebration and tradition that Greeks have which makes me so proud to be Greek.

This year was the first time that I made the Vasilopita. I had been wanting to make this recipe for several years ever since I got Tessa Kiros’ ‘Food from many Greek Kitchens’ cookbook, but my dad always managed to beat me to it and order one from a Greek pastry shop. So finally, this year he decided to be frugal and allow me to make it. There are many different versions of Vasilopita, from a regular cake like this one to a yeasted bread with different spices similar to a Brioche (my grandma makes this version – so I get the best of both worlds).  Tessa’s recipe is delightfully easy and the cake itself is scrumptious! It has a beautiful crumb but above all, the taste is heavenly – the perfect combination of citrus meeting vanilla.

My grandma's version of Vasilopita 

You don’t have to wait to New Year’s Eve to make this cake. It is one of those cakes that you can make all year around but if making it for the New Year be sure to remember to drop the flouri in the mixture.

1 coin such as a euro, dollar or pound

3 cups (450 grams) plain flour

3 heaped teaspoons baking powder

200 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

300 grams sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons brandy

¾ cup (185 ml) milk

1/3 cup (50 grams) blanched almonds, finely chopped

Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Butter and flour a 28 cm spring-form cake tin. Rinse the coin, dry it well and wrap it tightly in aluminium foil.

Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together into a bowl. Whip the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy. Ass the eggs one at a time, whisking each one in well. Beat in the vanilla and the orange and lemon zests. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the brandy and the milk, then fold the almonds in.

Scrape into the tin. Drop in the coin now, trying to keep it upright, not flat. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cake rack to cool completely. Dust cake with icing sugar.

One very proud mum!