122Vasilopita

Method

Aromatic citrus butter sponge. Cut according to traditional family hierarchy, allocating one slice per person present.

You will need

• 26 cm springform cake tin
• Electric stand mixer
• Mortar and pestle
• Fine sieve

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 175°C (350°F), and grease and flour a 26 cm round springform cake tin thoroughly. 5 min · 175°C / 350°F Ready when: tin is evenly lined
2. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until extraordinarily pale, creamy, and voluminous. 8 min Ready when: mixture turns almost white and fluffy
3. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating thoroughly after each addition, then blend in the orange zest, finely ground mastiha, and vanilla. 4 min Ready when: batter is smooth without curdling
4. Alternate folding the sifted flour and baking powder with the milk into the butter base, using a spatula on lowest speed. 3 min Ready when: flour is just absorbed without overworking
5. Gently fold in the whisked egg whites in three batches using sweeping motions from bottom to top until no white streaks remain. 3 min Ready when: batter is airy, light, and uniform
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, press a clean foil-wrapped coin into the mixture so it sinks out of sight, and smooth the surface. 2 min Ready when: top is level and coin is completely hidden
7. Bake in the conventional oven until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre emerges completely clean and the top is springy. 50 min · 175°C / 350°F Ready when: skewer comes out clean without wet crumbs
8. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, and dust heavily with icing sugar before serving. 15 min Ready when: cake is cool to the touch and covered in snow-white sugar

Tap a step to tick it off.

Make ahead and storing

Bake on New Year's Eve morning; keeps moist for several days.

Store under a cake dome or wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Substitutions

• ground cardamom or ground mahlab for Chios mastiha tears. A common regional choice in northern Greek households.

Common mistakes

• Opening the oven door during the first 35 minutes.. The sudden temperature drop can cause the delicate, aerated centre to collapse permanently.
• Dusting icing sugar while the cake is still warm.. Residual heat will melt the sugar into a sticky, unsightly glaze instead of leaving a snowy veil.

Regional variants

• Macedonian Vasilopita, prepared as an enriched yeast-risen brioche loaf rather than a cake.
• Epirote savoury Vasilopita, a layered filo pie filled with minced meat or chicken and wild greens.

About the dish

Vasilopita is the ceremonial New Year cake cut at midnight or on Saint Basil's Day, 1 January, throughout Greece and Cyprus. Custom dictates inserting a foil-wrapped coin into the batter before baking; slicing begins with symbolic portions for Christ, the Virgin, the house, and the poor, before distributing slices to family members by age. Whoever finds the coin is said to enjoy good luck for the coming year. While northern Greece often favours a yeast-leavened sweet bread, the aromatic orange-scented butter cake version is the most common modern domestic style.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for new year.

Cousins elsewhere

• Galette des Rois (French). Both are celebratory seasonal cakes containing a hidden token that brings good fortune to whoever finds it.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

445 kcal · protein 7.5 g · fat 20.8 g (saturated 12.3 g) · carbohydrate 57.8 g (sugars 28.8 g) · fibre 1 g · sodium 42 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. The southern Greek and Athenian domestic standard of an orange-scented sponge enriched with separated whipped egg whites..

Products for this dish