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A Greek Vasilopita New Years Cake decorated with m&m's spelling out the year 2023 sliced on a platter with a slice on a small plate next to it.

Vasilopita (Greek New Years Cake)

Catherine
Vasilopita is a traditional cake that is served on New Years Day. There is often a coin placed inside of it (wrapped in foil) and the cake is sliced and divided among guests. The person who finds the lucky coin is said to have good luck in the new year.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Servings 12 9" cake
Calories 370 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 6 eggs yolks and whites separated
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 lemon zested (or orange zest)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate:

  • 1 coin covered in foil
  • powdered sugar
  • candies or numbered candles to show the numbers of the new year (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and line the bottom of a cake pan with parchment paper.
  • Prepare the eggs as follows: 1) separate the egg yolks and whites. Place the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the whites in a separate bowl.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, Greek yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest to combine them.
  • Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks (the egg whites should be airy and hold their shape).
  • Slowly add the egg whites and dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time, alternating between the two.
  • Transfer to the cake pan. Spread the cake batter evenly (it will be quite thick, similar to a pound cake). Bake for 40-50 minutes or until it turns a nice golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Once removed from the oven, remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Once it is completely cooled, insert a coin into the bottom of the cake (towards the outer edge is preferrable so it is less likely you will cut into it when slicing the cake). Flip the cake over and dust it with powdered sugar or decorate with an icing glaze. Decorate if you wish with the date of the new year.

Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 121IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.

Keyword cake, greek food
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