Greek New Year's Cake: Rich & Buttery with a Hidden Treasure
Greeks bring in the New Year eating a “Vasilopita” which means “Saint Basil’s Bread”. The sweetness symbolizes hope for the coming year to be filled with life, liberty, health, and happiness. The most important part of Vasilopita is the lucky coin baked in the cake. The cake's texture and flavors are reminiscent of a rich, buttery pound cake with the added holiday flavors of orange and nutmeg. Cutting and serving this cake is a game for the whole family!
Servings: 10 slices
Ingredients
- 420 g (3½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1½7 tsp (7g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1½ g) salt
- ½ tsp (1g) ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp packed orange zest from 1 large navel orange
- 8 oz (2 sticks/1 cup) butter room temperature
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar superfine/caster sugar is best
- 1 tsp (4 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (25 ml) orange juice from the zested orange (~½ an orange)
- 8 oz (1 cup) milk
- 5 large eggs whites and yolks separated (room temperature)
- 1 coin cleaned and wrapped tightly in foil
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar or enough to coat the top once baked and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Prepare the pan by greasing a 10-inch round cake pan (or springform pan) with butter or cooking spray. Place a round sheet of parchment paper (cut to fit the pan bottom) over the butter in the bottom of the pan and smooth it down for conform to the pan. If using a springform pan, add foil to encircle the outside bottom where the two sections meet to prevent batter from oozing out the bottom. Set aside.TIP: Don't be tempted to use a 9-inch cake pan as that size is a tad too small for this cake. If you don't have a larger cake pan, pour most of the batter in the 9-inch pan and leave a little out (~1/2 cup, perhaps). You can bake the remaining batter separately in a tiny baking dish or muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add nutmeg and orange zest and whisk together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip softened butter until smooth and slowly pour in sugar as machine is running. Whip until smooth, pale, light, and fluffy. Start on low and increase the speed to medium. This could take a couple of minutes. Reduce speed to low and add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add vanilla and orange juice mixing until combined.TIPS: To quickly soften butter, dice it and place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can whip the butter and wet ingredients in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and milk beginning and ending with flour mixture until the ingredients are combined.TIP: Consider adding ½ cup of flour at a time using a ½-cup measuring cup to prevent a mess from flying flour. Add between ¼- ½ cup of milk at a time.
- In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer and whip egg whites until soft peaks.TIP: Soft peaks occur when you lift the beaters and the top of the trail left in the bowl curls over.
- Gently fold egg whites into the cake batter until well combined.TIP: Be sure to scrape up the batter hanging out at the bottom of the bowl. It needs to be carefully folded into the egg whites. If not, you'll end up with heavy batter in sections of your cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Push the wrapped coin gently into the cake batter. Use a spatula to smooth out the top.TIP: The coin will sink as the cake bakes, so there's no need to press it in very far.
- Bake the cake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick (or dry spaghetti stick) inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.TIP: When removing the cake from the pan, you may run a knife along the sides to help release any sticking.
- Once completely cooled, sift powdered sugar over the top to completely cover the cake. Serve and enjoy!TIP: If you want a "clean" plate without powdered sugar resting on it, place thin strips of wax paper under the cake edges prior to sifting on the powdered sugar. Then, remove the wax paper.
Video
Notes
*You can make and bake this cake a day ahead of time and cover with powdered sugar after it cools completely or just before serving. The flavors are great the second day particularly the orange and nutmeg.
*This cake can be stored at room temperature for several days. Keep in mind that the longer it sits, the drier it will become. For longer storage, cut the cake into slices and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze the slices for up to a couple of months. To thaw, allow desired number of slices to sit on the counter for an hour or so and enjoy.