Vasilopita Greek New Year’s cake with dried fruits

Vasilopita is a traditional Greek cake served at midnight on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the life of Saint Basil. After baking the cake, a coin is inserted through the base and when cut the person who finds the coin is said to be granted luck for the rest of the year!

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup orange juice
zest of 2 oranges
1½ cup sugar
6 eggs
2 cups flour all purpose
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup assorted raisins (currants and sultans)
5 dried figs, finely chopped
5 dried apricots, finely chopped
powdered sugar and a coin wrapped in some aluminum paper

Directions:

Keep a handful of flour aside and mix the rest with the almond flour and baking powder. Preheat the oven to 180oC.

Beat the oil in the mixer for 5 minutes and add the sugar. Continue beating for a few more minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and white.

Add the eggs one by one and continue beating for 3-4 minutes. Add the orange zest and finally the juice alternately with the flour mixture. When the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous, stop the mixer. Mix the raisins, figs and apricots with the flour you kept and incorporate it into the dough, stirring with a spatula.

Pour the mixture into a buttered pan with a diameter of 23-24cm. Bake the pie at 180C for 40-50 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean when inserted. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes and turn it over and let cool completely. At this point insert the lucky coin in the cake.

When the Vasilopita is cold, sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate the Vasilopita as you wish. Happy New Year !!