Vassilopita Greek New Years Cake Food

VASELOPITA - GREEK NEW YEARS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
• Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!

VASSILOPITA (GREEK NEW YEAR'S CAKE)

Steps:

• In a glass bowl beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.
• In a 2nd bowl beat together the egg yolks and sugar, until pale, add the butter to the egg mixture.
• Stir to combine.
• Dissolve the soda in the orange juice and add to bowl.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean separate bowl until stiff Add half the flour, half the cognac with the baking powder dissolved in it, and half the egg whites to the sugar/butter mixture.
• Mix well and then repeat with the second half.
• Pour mixture into a 30cm (12in) round baking tin and bake in a preheated moderate oven 180c/350f/Gas 4 for approx 1 hour.
• Until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool.
• Wrap a coin in foil and insert it in the base of the cake (see note).
• Decorate the cake with icing sugar, sprinkled on top or make a stencil of 2002;sprinkle icing sugar over then gently remove the stencil.
• Note: Make sure you place the coin away from the centre of the cake, or you may end up with the coin still on the plate when you have cut it into slices!

GREEK NEW YEAR'S ORANGE AND BRANDY CAKE (VASSILOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F, and grease a 10" round cake pan.
• Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy (about 3 min). Add butter and beat an additional minute. Beat in orange juice and brandy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and zests. Add the dry ingredients to the yolk mixture, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Clean the beaters, and beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Fold them gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the cake pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with almonds (if making for the new year, write the year with the almonds).
• Bake for about an hour, or until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.

VASILOPITA - GREEK SAINT BASIL'S NEW YEAR'S CAKE

Steps:

• Clean! Silver or gold coin wrapped in aluminum foil (a quarter works well).
• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 10 inch round cake pan with 1 Tbs butter.
• In a medium bowl, cream the cup of butter and 2 cups of sugar together until light in color. Stir in the flour and mix until the batter resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each one in well.
• In a small bowl combine the baking powder and milk, add to the cake batter and mix well. Finally combine the lemon juice and baking soda in a small bowl, add to the cake batter and mix well. Pour the cake batter in to the greased cake pan, insert the foil wrapped coin, and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the nuts and 2 Tbs sugar over the cake, then return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 20-30 minutes until the cake springs to the touch. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes then invert the pan on to a cake plate.
• Ideally the cake should be served warm; each person gets a slice of the cake starting with the most senior member. Members of the Greek Orthodox Church believe that whoever gets the coin is blessed.