How to make a Greek Vasilopita (New Year's Cake)

Here is my recipe (in video) for a great Vasilopita. I hope you get to bake one and if you do, please tag @cookedbyalexandra on Instagram because I’d love to see your creations.

Now... let’s explain the tradition of the vasilopita.

Vasilopita (meaning St Basil’s cake) is a traditional Greek cake that is made New Years Eve and cut on New Year’s Day. The cake is a symbol of good luck for the New Year. A coin is dropped into the batter of the cake before it is baked. The first piece is dedicated to Christ, the second for Virgin Mary, the third is for St Basil and the fourth for the house. The following pieces are served to family members from the oldest to the youngest. Whoever finds the coin in their serving will have good luck for that year.

According to tradition, St Basil intervened against the Emperor of Caesarea who placed a heavy tax on people during a year of famine and hardship. When St Basil heard about the tax he asked the Emperor to repent which he did. The Emperor ordered that all gold coins, jewels and money that the people had used to pay for the tax be returned to them. St Basil was unsure of how to return the jewellery and money to their rightful owners so he decided to bake a large cake and insert all the jewels and money into it. He called the people to take a piece of the cake and miraculously each piece of the cake that people took contained their own jewellery and gold coin.

Happy New Year to you all!