”You have to taste a culture to understand it.”

– Deborah Cater

Lucky New Year’s cake

In medieval times objects such as coins and thimbles were mixed into the cake batter. People believed that the person who got the coin would be wealthy. Today also small figures, coins and small candies are used.

Vasilopita, a traditional Greek cake, made with simple ingredients, is served at midnight on New Year’s Eve or on New Year’s Day. It is made with a variety of doughs, depending on the region, and families often have their own recipes. The cake has a coin baked inside. The lucky recipient of the cake slice with the coin is said to be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year. 

Recipe adapted from “The original Greek Cooking”, Fotorama Co, 1993.

Step by step video tutorial
Serving Size:
10 – 12 pieces
Time:
Prep time: 20 min
Wait time: 2 h
Bake time: 35 – 45 min
Difficulty:
Easy

Equipment

  • I am using a bundt cake pan 22 x 10 cm ( similar to 10 x 3 inches). Usually I see this cake baked in a round cake pan.

Ingredients

  • 100 g / 0.4 cups butter (unsalted, soft)
  • 150 g / 0.8 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 100 g / 0.4 cups milk (room temperature)
  • 60 g / 4 tbsp alcohol (I use liqueur from Crete. The original recipe suggests using brandy.)
  • 300 g / 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 15 g / 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 100 g / 1 cup almond flour or ground almonds

Directions

  1. Beat butter with sugar. Add eggs and beat till the batter is light and fluffy.
  2. Add the liquid ingredients – milk and alcohol.
  3. Mix flour with baking powder and sift in the bowl with the rest of the batter. Mix the batter with a spoon till it’s smooth.
  4. Add and mix in the almond flour or ground almonds. They will give the cake a nutty crunch and flavour. The cake will also stay moist and fresh for longer, unless eaten quick 🙂
  5. Mix everything well, cover the bowl and leave the batter in room temperature for about 2 h.
  6. Set the oven to heat to 180 degrees C or 400 degrees F.
  7. Grease the cake pan with some oil or butter. Put the cake batter in the cake pan and level. The batter is quite thick and feels a little foamy.
  8. As last before baking, put a coin for good luck wrapped in a piece of parchment paper inside the cake.
  9. Bake the cake for about 35 – 45 min till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. If the cake is not ready yet, but starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminium foil.
  10. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool a bit before removing from the cake pan. Cut off the uneven bottom, decorate and enjoy!