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Vassilopita, Greek New Year’s Cake Recipe

Vasilopita Greek New Year's Cake

Vasilopita is the traditional Greek New Year’s cake served at midnight on New Year’s Eve. This cake is infused with the aromas of orange, butter, and mastic!

After baking the vasilopita, a coin is inserted through the base and when served in slices, the person who finds the coin is said to be granted luck for the rest of the year! 

Vasilopita Greek New Year's Cake

Vasilopita is made with different kinds of dough, such as cake and tsoureki (sweet bread). This is my favorite recipe for Greek New Year’s cake, as my mother passed it on to me. It is a very special cake, infused with the wonderful aromas of orange and mastic. 

In this vasilopita recipe, we beat the egg whites into meringue, and this is the secret to fluffy and velvet vasilopita batter. All ingredients should be at room temperature, and (can’t point this out enough) always sift the flour when baking a cake.

You can always see the recipe in video (in Greek) here, and of course, in English, right below the recipe. Happy baking and my best wishes for 2019!

Vasilopita Greek New Year's Cake
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Greek New Year’s Cake – Vassilopita

Vasilopita is the traditional Greek New Year’s cake served at midnight on New Year’s Eve. This cake is infused with the aromas of orange, butter, and mastic!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Keyword Greek New Year’s Cake
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Total time 1 hour
Servings 8
Calories 280kcal

Ingredients

  • 8.8 oz butter 250 g.
  • 10.5 oz caster sugar 300 g.
  • 4 eggs yolks and whites separately
  • 1 orange juice and zest
  • 8.1 oz full fat milk room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. mastic powder
  • 1.1 lb all purpose flour 500 g.
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • almond flakes to garnish
  • powdered sugar to coat
  • Recipe by Tassos Antoniou

Instructions

  • In a standing mixer, cream on high speed the butter with the sugar until pale and frothy.
  • Slowly add the egg yolks to the mixture and beat until combined.
  • In a different bowl, whisk the egg whites into meringue for approximately 15 minutes, until double in size and soft peaks form.
  • Fold the meringue into the butter mixture. Add the orange zest, milk and mix well.
  • Sift the all purpose flour with the baking powder and mastic into the mixture. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until homogenous.
  • Preheat the oven at 320oF / 160oC.
  • Transfer the mixture into a buttered and floured 11” / 30 cm round baking tin. Sprinkle the almond flakes on top.
  • Tap the baking tin on the cooking bench two-three times to evenly distribute the cake mixture.
  • Bake for 50 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool down for 10 minutes.
  • Turn the cake upside down and insert a coin covered in tin foil through the base of the cake. Transfer the cake into a platter.
  • Dust with powdered sugar. Serve in slices.

Video

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