New Year’s Recipe Spotlight: Vasilopita Greek Cake
While 2020 has been a year of ups and downs, a new year is right around the corner! Celebrate the beginning of 2021 by baking the lucky Greek New Year’s cake, Vasilopita! Vasilopita is made with blends of oranges and topped with powdered sugar. The cake is served at midnight on New Year’s Eve, but it also makes for a delicious breakfast paired with Greek coffee on New Year’s Day. The Greek tradition is to hide a coin in the cake, and whoever finds the coin in their piece is said to have good luck for the rest of the year! Make your own homemade Vasilopita cake this New Year’s Eve with the California Greek Girl’s recipe below, and keep your fingers crossed that you get the lucky slice!
Ingredients:
- ½ pound butter, melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup milk
Instructions:
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 12×3 – inch round cake pan
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Melt the butter and beat on medium high with the mixer until light in color. Set aside
- Beat eggs until light in color for about 3-4 minutes
- Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy another 3-4 minutes
- On medium low speed add milk, baking powder, orange zest to eggs
- On low speed add flour and cooled butter alternately to batter
- Do not over beat
- Place wrapped coin in the bottom of the pan
- Pour batter into baking pan
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees, for 30-35 minutes until lightly brown
- Test with a toothpick for doneness
- Let cool
- Place on a cooling rack or plate on top and flip over. Flip once more so top is face up
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve
