Greek New Year’s Cake (Vasilopita)
Ingredients
- 1-7oz box Odense Almond Paste, grated using large hole side of box grater
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup icing sugar, for dusting
- 1 coin washed and wrapped in foil, optional
- Honey and sliced almonds, optional
Recipe by Odense Test Kitchen
A rich, tender almond cake infused with the unmistakable flavor of Odense Almond Paste—and hiding a lucky coin for one fortunate guest. Slice in, savor, and see who starts the new year with a little extra magic.
Time
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour
Bake time: 1 hour
Yield
12 servings
Ingredients
- 1-7oz box Odense Almond Paste, grated using large hole side of box grater
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup icing sugar, for dusting
- 1 coin washed and wrapped in foil, optional
- Honey and sliced almonds, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack set in the middle. Line the bottom and grease a 10-inch cake pan.
- With an electric mixer, cream the grated Almond Paste, butter, and sugar, until smooth. Don’t mix higher than medium speed as to not aerate it too much. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and mix again until uniform.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure everything is fully combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and mix until uniform. Mix in the orange zest, vanilla extract, and brandy until combined.
- Sift and whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter, mix gently. Follow with one-half of the milk, one-third of the flour, second half of the milk, and the last half of the flour. Mix gently after each addition. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and mix until there are no lumps.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place the wrapped coin into the batter, making sure it doesn't stick out the top. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
- Once it’s done baking, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.
- Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and garnish with honey and almonds around the edge.
- Be mindful of the coin as a choking hazard and enjoy!
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