Amish Friendship Bread Vasilopita (Greek New Year's Cake)
This Amish Friendship Bread variation of the Greek New Year's Cake, vasilopita, has a coin tucked inside to yield good luck and blessings in the coming year.
Servings: 2 8" cakes
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cake flour sifted
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 12 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¾ cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons orange zest from two oranges
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from one lemon
- 3 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup orange juice
Topping (if not using glaze)
- 1 cup almonds slivered
Glaze (if not using topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C) and place rack in center of oven.
- Grease two 8" round cake pans.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the starter, butter, sugar, orange and lemon zests, then add the beaten eggs and orange juice. Mix well.
- Slowly add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix!
- Carefully add batter into prepared cake pans and smooth the top with a spatula. If not glazing afterwards, top with almonds.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for five minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack. Once you are able to handle the cake, cut a small slit at the bottom and tuck a clean coin into each cake (if you prefer, you can wrap the coin in aluminum foil).
- If glazing, drizzle glaze over cakes while still warm, or wait until cake cools and top with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.
- The host should slice the cake, with a slice for each member of the household.
- ENJOY!
Notes
If you only have all-purpose flour on hand, decrease the amount of flour from 2½ cups cake flour to 2¼ cups all-purpose flour. Be careful not to overmix.
You can top with slivered almonds, or use a simple vanilla or lemon glaze. If you're doing the grown-up version (21 years and older), add ¼ cup brandy to the recipe and reduce the orange juice to ½ cup. Instead of the regular glaze, combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar with just enough Grand Marnier to achieve a good drizzle consistency, about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Don't bake the coin directly into the cake. Clean your coins easily by adding a tablespoon of salt to a small bowl and just enough white vinegar to make a paste. Rub the coin in the paste and then let it sit (you can also add a little more vinegar and let it soak). Rinse well with warm water and dry. While the finished cake is cooling, cut a slit into the bottom of the cake and insert a clean coin before glazing and serving. Wrap in aluminum foil if preferred.