Holidays in our family are a big deal. Our Greek traditions play a large role in each holiday. I have so many wonderful memories growing up with my “Big Fat Greek Family” and all our special traditions.
During the holiday season I always used to bake traditional Greek sweets with my yiayia (grandma) and one that stands out most to me is the Vasilopita. It is something we would bake and cut on New Year’s Eve at midnight, or New Year’s Day. It can be made as a bread or cake, and a coin is placed inside. You cut a piece for “the house” and one for each person. Whoever gets the coin has good luck for the entire year.
When I got diagnosed with Celiac, I was sad I could no longer enjoy our family’s traditions. Once I realized I just needed to modify recipes, I am now able to enjoy them again!
I hope you try our tradition in your family!
Ingredients:
4 cups gluten free flour (I use Cup4Cup)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
Powdered Sugar
A Coin
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9-10 inch cake or bunt pan.
In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter.
Add the orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. Mix with a mixer.
Whip the eggs in a small bowl and add to the butter mixture and mix.
In another bowl mix the flour and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients and mix.
Add the coin in the batter.
Pour batter (it will be thick) in the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Release cake from pan, turn right side up and sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
cut the cake and hope you get the coin! 🙂
Happy New Year! Enjoy!
I found your recipe on Pinterest. It is wonderful and a “keeper” for sure! I made this for our church’s Vasilopita Sunday and it was quite a hit. Thank you very much for sharing it.
I’m so happy to hear this and glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!
Hiya,
I’m looking forward to making this in a few days. My daughters’ class is studying greek history. The class is having a pentathlon and feast after. We’ve been asked to bring a greek desert. I looked on pinterest and besides baklava, some look very… interesting =). Plus I think I’d have to search for some of the ingredients.
Then I found this cake which looks yum AND I already have all the ingredients, happy dance! =)
Plus I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we put a coin in for good luck!!!! While it isn’t New Years, I’m doing it anyway! So cute! AND I’m going to totally steal that New Years tradition!! This Irish-Eastern European family thanks you! =)
Do you think I can make this cake the day before? Or is it best to make it the day of the event?
Also, there will be so many of us, I think I should bring two. Do you think it’s safe to double the recipe or just make it twice?
Thanks so much for sharing!
Yay! I’m sooo happy to hear this! I think the kiddos will love it, especially with the coin inside! If you don’t have time to make it the day of, I think the day before should be fine just make sure you cover it really well so it stays moist. Maybe make it the day before but add the powdered sugar the day of! I always double if not triple the recipe since I make them for multiple houses.
I have so many friends that aren’t Greek that now do this tradition with their families!
Enjoy and please let me know how it turns out!! 🙂
I was gonna make this cake with regular flour do I need to modify the baking powder. If you could let me know soon I was getting ready to make it today
No, you can go ahead and use the exact same recipe with regular flour! I hope you enjoy it! Happy New Year! 🙂
I made one tonight, it came out great! Eldest son got thee coin. My two sons complemented my simple, yet tasty cake. I baked it in my cast iron skillet.
I’m so glad to hear this! That’s exciting your son got the coin! I’ve never tried it in a skillet, so that’s great to know it turned out well. Happy New Year!!
Sounds delicious! I assume it can be made using four cups of a-p flour too?
Yes, absolutely you can use all-purpose flour in place of the gf flour. Same measurements!
Thanks. Hope to make it this week.
I hope you enjoy it! Happy New Year!
Happy 2018 to you too!
Happy 2018!
Hello from Brisbane Australia!! I am wanting to make this for NY but can I use almond meal instead? In case I can’t find gluten free flour…. thanks and Happy new year!
Hi in Australia! I haven’t tried using almond flour in this recipe. Are you gluten free? If not, regular all-purpose flour will work. If you’re gluten free, most large grocery stores should carry gluten free flour. If you’re up for a challenge, you can try the almond flour (but I can’t guarantee it will turn out the same!). Almond flour typically requires more egg or binding agent, so the recipe might need to be altered.
Happy New Year!
maybe add 1/4 cup greek yogurt per egg replacement extra to up the binding liquid
Ya, that might work! You could also add more eggs. I would also recommend not using a deep cake pan since almond flour is dense and it won’t rise as well as flour. If you try it, let me know what you do and how it turns out! Good luck!
I found gluten free flour so all good! Can’t wait to make it. T x
YAY glad you found GF flour! I hope you enjoyed it! Happy New Year!
Does the butter need to be unsalted?
No, regular butter will do!
Hi, I will be attempting this tonight and have all the ingredients. Should the oven temperature be 350 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius? How long? Thank you and hope you have a happy and healthy New Year!
Never mind just reread the directions….45-60 minutes!
Glad you found it! I hope you enjoyed our tradition and continue it each year! Happy New Year!
It was delicious and so easy to make! This is definitely my new recipe that will stick cause hubby and kids loved it too!
Thank you and hope you had a wonderful new year!
Maria
I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! I make this all year long and just leave out the coin and powdered sugar and then cut it into slices and freeze them. It’s perfect to toast for breakfast! 🙂
Thank you and Happy New Year to you as well! xo
Ha! Funny thing is I told my husband I would make it during the year without the coin too….the freezing part is a great idea! Thanks for the great tip, may be making some tomorrow!
XO
Maria
This was such a big hit w our family, I made it twice this week. Once for New Years Day, and then again for my in laws who have celiac. Non GF family loved it as well. It was easy to make, and such a treat for us GF Greeks who havent had a good slice of Vasilopita in ages! Thanks so much. I have a great pic, but I dont know how to upload it here.
YAY!! I’m so happy to hear that! Find me on Facebook and post the pic to my page! Also, if you have Instagram post it and tag me! 🙂
What do you use so much sugar in your recipe for Vassilopita? I find that the measure you give makes too sweet for the Australia palate.