Recipe: Vasilopita (Greek New Years Cake)

VASILOPITA (Traditional Greek New Year's Cake)

Description:When the cake is cut on New Years Day, everyone iskeen to find the coin as whoever does is meant to have good luck throughout the year. In days gone by, wealthierpeople would actually use a real gold coin!

Ingredients:1 + 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brandy
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
chopped almonds
icing sugar
Royal Icing (optional)

ROYAL ICING1
egg white
1 + 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Whip eggs and sugar until very light. Add oil, melted butter and vanilla.Stir in orange juice, brandy, flour and baking powder just until combined.Place in a greased and floured round cake pan. Place a foil-wrapped coininto cake mixture. Sprinkle almonds around edges. Bake at 175°C for 45 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool and remove from pan. If desired, write the new year on top withroyal icing and sprinkle with icing sugar.

ROYAL ICING
Whip egg whites, slowly adding icing sugar and lemon juice.Adjust consistency by adding a few drops of water for thinner icingor icing sugar for a stiffer icing. Spread or pipe on cake and let dry.