Vasilopita: the recipe for the Greek dessert for New Year’s Eve

Step 1

Open the eggs and collect the egg whites in a large bowl, keeping the yolks with the sugar in another bowl.

step 2

Beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until you get a light, fluffy mixture2. Then slowly add the melted (not boiling) butter, stirring constantly, and add the grated orange peel.

step 3

Also add the milk3and merge.

Step 4

Use a spatula to work in the sifted flour together with the yeast. Then beat the egg whites until stiff and stir into the mixture with slow movements from bottom to top4.

Step 5

Grease a springform pan with a diameter of 24 cm, place a sheet of baking paper on the bottom and fill it with the dough5.

Step 6

Wash and dry a penny and then wrap it well with a strip of aluminum foil6.

Step 7

Insert the coin into the dough by pressing it down anywhere in the mold7.

Step 8

Sprinkle the surface of the cake with sliced ​​almonds8.and bake in a preheated static oven at 175 °C for about an hour.

Step 9

Remove from the oven when the surface appears golden9.and the inside is well cooked (worth the toothpick test).

Step 10

Carefully turn the cake out of the tin, let it cool and serve in slices10..

Advice
You can also flavor the dough with some lemon zest, a drop of limoncello or any other liqueur of your choice; you can also add spices such as cinnamon or cardamom.

You can sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds or with another type of seeds such as flax, poppy, sunflower or almond seeds or nuts (such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, pecans). If you want, you can dust the surface with some more powdered sugar.

For an even more delicious variation, enrich the dough with chocolate chips or, once the cake is ready, cut it in half and fill it with a chocolate ganache.

If you liked this recipe, try the creamy ricotta cake too.

storage
Vasilopita cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or under a glass dome for about 2-3 days .