Vasilopita is a Greek New Year's Day cake that contains a hidden coin which gives good luck for one year to the person who receives it. This cake is linked to Saint Basil's day, January 1, in most of Greece.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of varying recipes depending on the region of Greece and the tradition kept in each household.
To make Vasilopita:
Grease a 9 inch round springform cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light in color — appoximately eight minutes.
Stir in the flour and mix until you see small pieces.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the baking powder to the warm milk and stir, and immediately add to the batter and mix well.
Combine the lemon juice and baking soda together (it will fizz) and mix into the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, level the top out, and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven very carefully, as the batter will still be quite liquidy.
Sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Gently insert a coin that has been washed and wrapped in tin foil or plastic wrap into the cake.
Once the vasilopita has cooled completely, sift icing sugar over the whole cake. The photo (below) is before I sifted icing sugar on top.
Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest.
The person who gets the coin in their piece gets good luck for the rest of the year!
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