Greek New Year's Vasilopita Cake
A traditional end-of-the-year sweet served in Greece on January 1st.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer optional
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 250 grams unsalted butter
- 125 grams margarine
- 400-500 grams sugar
- 1 cup condensed milk (for better flavor, we use condensed milk, which you can replace with regular milk)
- 60 ml brandy or cognac (I recommend Greek Metaxa or Cretan tsikoudia)
- 500 grams self-raising flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (liquid or powder)
- 1 orange (or lemon) zest
- 1 pinch salt
- icing sugar to decorate
- 1 small coin wrapped in aluminum foil
- pomegranate seeds to decorate (optional)
Instructions
- Separate the whites from the yolks, set the yolks aside, and put the 6 whites in a big bowl with a pinch of salt.
- With a mixer, using high speed, mix until you obtain a firm meringue (when you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold), and set the meringue aside.
- Take another bowl and mix the butter (which you have left out of the refrigerator for a few hours) and the sugar.
- Add the yolks one by one and keep mixing until you have incorporated them. Only now, incorporate the milk, the brandy, the vanilla, and the lemon zest.
- Add the flour little by little.
- Once all these elements are incorporated into a soft batter, start adding the meringue.
- Do not use the mixer to prevent the meringue from softening. Use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, little by little and with soft movements to also incorporate some air.
- Use a 32 cm cake pan that has previously been buttered and floured. Add the batter to the cake mold and the small coin that you have previously wrapped in aluminum foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, let it cool and decorate with icing sugar on top.
Notes
- This is a rich, buttery, and fairly high-calorie cake.
- The ideal serving size would be 12–16 slices, each around 450–600 kcal, depending on slice size.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
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