Greek New Year's Cake (Vasilopita Recipe)
Lucky Greek New Year's Cake! A delicious cake with hints of vanilla extract and fresh orange and sprinkled with a generous amount of icing sugar. A coin is hidden inside the vasilopita and the lucky person who finds the coin in their piece of vasilopita is said to have good luck for the upcoming year!
Servings: 8 pieces
Calories: 893kcal
Equipment
- Electric stand mixer and large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment
- 10" x 2" round baking pan (light-coloured)
- Citrus zester and juicer
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 oz Metaxa brandy 2 tablespoons
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder level
- 1/2 teaspoon salt level
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon level
- 1 tablespoon orange zest about two navel oranges
- 1 cup whole or homogenized milk room temperature
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice room temperature
- 1/2 cup icing sugar to dust on top of the vasilopita adjust to taste
- one small coin washed and wrapped in aluminum foil
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Zest and juice the oranges, setting them aside seperately. Lightly grease a 10" round baking pan with butter and dust with flour, or line with parchment paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the baking powder, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Preheat the oven to bake at 350°F.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Prepare the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter and oil. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream on medium speed for a couple of minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then resume mixing on medium speed while gradually adding the sugar. Continue creaming for a few minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in colour. Scrape the bowl and attachment again to ensure everything is well incorporated.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 ½ cups white sugar
- Add in the eggs. Set the mixer to medium speed and add one egg at a time, mixing for 45-60 seconds between each egg addition. Repeat until all four eggs are fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and brandy. To avoid curdling, ensure eggs are at room temperature and add them gradually. If added too quickly or while too cold, the mixture may split. If curdling occurs, add 1-2 tablespoons of the flour mixture to stabilize the batter, then continue adding the remaining eggs.4 eggs, 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract, 1 oz Metaxa brandy
- Alternate between dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate between adding the dry and wet ingredients: start with some of the flour mixture, then milk, more flour, then the orange juice, and finish with the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until no flour is visible. *Do not start with the orange juice or the batter will curdle.*Turn off the mixer and give the batter a final mix with a spatula, scraping down the paddle, sides and bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap it lightly on the counter to release air bubbles, and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole or homogenized milk, 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- Bake the vasilopita at 350°F. Place the cake on the second-to-bottom rack of your preheated oven and gently close the door. Bake for 50-60 minutes. To check doneness, insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the cake. If it comes out mostly clean, the cake is ready. If the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan then it's also ready. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
- Clean the lucky coin. Wash a small coin with soap and dry it thoroughly. Wrap it securely in aluminum foil and gently insert it into the bottom of the baked cake. Use a coin like a quarter, loonie, or toonie. Avoid placing it in the center of the cake because it may be hard to tell which slice the coin ends up in when the cake is sliced. Once the cake is flipped back over, the coin will be hidden.one small coin washed and wrapped in aluminum foil
- Sprinkle the vasilopita with icing sugar. Dust the vasilopita generously with icing sugar. For a decorative touch, you can stencil the upcoming year using a cutout, arrange the numbers with dried cranberries or chocolate chips, or simply leave it plain with icing sugar. Traditionally, the upcoming year is displayed on top to celebrate the New Year!1/2 cup icing sugar to dust on top of the vasilopita
- Cut the vasilopita. The eldest family member traditionally slices the vasilopita, starting with pieces for God, the house, the business or work, followed by family members from oldest to youngest. If there's more cake, include slices for relatives or friends celebrating with you. Whoever gets the lucky coin is said to have good luck and fortune for the New Year!
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients. The butter, eggs, milk, and orange juice must be at room temperature, so the batter doesn't curdle, mixes easily, and bakes properly.
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar together. This process helps to create a fluffy cake since air is beaten into the butter, and the sugar helps to trap little pockets of air. You only need to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes.
- Add the eggs slowly to the creamed butter, oil, and sugar. Add one egg at a time to the creamed butter and sugar. Allow each egg to incorporate with the creamed butter, oil, and sugar before adding another egg to the mixture. If the eggs are added too quickly, they will curdle with the fat in the butter. Allow about 30-45 seconds in between adding each egg.
- When adding the dry ingredients, we will alternate between flour, milk, flour, orange juice, flour, milk, flour, etc. Start with the flour (dry) and end with the flour (dry).
- Don't open the oven during baking. Especially during the first 45 minutes, since the change in temperature may cause your cake to go flat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 893kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 602mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 84g