Greek New Years Orange And Brandy Cake Vassilopita Recipes

VASELOPITA - GREEK NEW YEARS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
• Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!

GREEK NEW YEAR'S ORANGE AND BRANDY CAKE (VASSILOPITA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F, and grease a 10" round cake pan.
• Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy (about 3 min). Add butter and beat an additional minute. Beat in orange juice and brandy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and zests. Add the dry ingredients to the yolk mixture, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Clean the beaters, and beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Fold them gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the cake pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with almonds (if making for the new year, write the year with the almonds).
• Bake for about an hour, or until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from the pan.

NEW YEAR'S ORANGE AND BRANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light yellow and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter or butter and margarine and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the orange juice and brandy.
• Whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and the zests in another large bowl. Add to the yolk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
• In a large clean bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with almonds.
• Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan and serving.