Vasilopita Greek New Years Cake Sweetbread

Vasilopita is a greek sweetbread cake that is traditionally made the night before and served on new years day in Greece. The sweetbread is flavored with cinnamon, and orange zest giving it a light citrusy flavor. It’s often flavored with mastic gum as well, a natural gum collected from the mastic trees on the island of Chios, which lends a wonderful and unique flavor to this delicious sweetbread. 

The vasilopita cake is baked with a coin hidden within it. When the cake is cut and served on new years day whoever gets the slice with the coin in it is said to have good luck for the year! It’s a wonderful and fun tradition. 

There are many legends regarding the history of this tradition. One is that St.Basil wanted to allow people their dignity when he was giving charity to the poor  so he baked bread with coins hidden within the loaves and then gifted the bread. 

New years is not the only time this delicious sweetbread is made in Greece. It’s also baked on easter ,minus the lucky coin, and throughout the year as a simple braided sweetbread which is called tsoureki. 

Fairly easy to make at home yourself this wonderful sweetbread is a wonderful addition to your table any time of the year. For the full recipe and an easy to follow walk through on it check out the video posted below.