New Year’s Day, also the feast day of St Basil, is a special day on the Greek calendar. Not only does it signal the start of a new year, it is also in some ways Greece’s version of Christmas Day, at least when it comes to gift giving. It is said that, that is when St Basil would distribute gifts to children, not on 25 December as it has come to be today.

New Year’s Day is also synonymous in most Greek households with the vasilopita, or vasilopoulla as it is known in Cyprus, a special sweet bread that is baked with a coin in the centre.

According to legend, it is believed the vasilopita was introduced by Saint Basil, and to understand why, we must delve into the story of his life.

Born in Caesaria, Cappadocia in 330 AD, St Basil was born into a wealthy family. He went on to study theology in Constantinople, and built the Basiliad church outside Caesarea of which he became Bishop. His philanthropic nature, led him to distribute his wealth among the poor.

One day however, a siege was brought upon the city. With no wealth to hand over to the enemy as ransom, St Basil had to call upon the community for their help. They jumped at the chance, handing over anything of value they had, including gold and jewels. The enemy was so touched by their generosity, he withdrew his threats.

But where does the vasilopita come into this you may ask?

Once the treasures had all been mixed, it was difficult to know who owned each piece of gold and jewels. So to make it fair, St Basil requested that his deacons bake small loaves of bread, placing a piece of treasure at the centre of each. Miraculously, the recipients each ended up with the treasures that were rightfully theirs.

Since then the tradition has evolved, with the treasure a coin placed in the centre.

The head of the household cut a cross into the vasilopita, usually when the clock strikes midnight, and then proceeds to cut a slice for each person present, handed out from eldest to youngest. The one who gets the coin in their slice, is said to have good luck brought upon them for the next 12 months.

The tradition is also followed across the Greek diaspora, and in many Balkan and Eastern European countries where it is not associated with St Basil.

Kathy Tsaples, founder of Sweet Greek, has generously shared a special Vasilopita recipe for you to try this year to see in 2020.

RECIPE: Vasilopita

“I was given this recipe by my neighbour Dimi. Her husband, Milton, and I have been neighbours since I was 17 years old. He arrived in Australia at 19 years of age from the island of Mytilini and at first lived with his sister Alexandra,” recalls Kathy.

“The recipe was originally devised by Milton’s mother, Anna, who has sadly passed away. But through this recipe, her legacy lives on. It is a beautiful cake and, while it is called Vasilopita (meaning ‘New Year’s Cake’), it can be made at any time of the year – with the exception that you don’t insert a coin in the cake.”

Ingredients

4 cups of self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp vanilla powder
3 eggs
1 cup of sunflower or grapeseed oil
1 cup of warm milk
1 cup of orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp each of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg
2 cups of caster sugar

You will also need an electric mixer.

Method

1. Beat the oil and the sugar using the paddle-wheel attachment of an electric mixer. Add the and beat eggs until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
2. Quickly stir the baking soda into the cup of orange juice; it will bubble away. Pour it into the mixture and continue to beat at a low speed.
3. Add the spices while still beating, then add the warm milk and fold in the flour.
4. Take a one-dollar coin and wrap it in foil.
5. Butter a large (40-centimetre) baking dish or two small cake pans.
6. Pour the cake mixture into the baking dish. Insert the coin in a spot close to the edge.
7. Bake for an hour at 150˚C.

* For more delicious recipes by Kathy Tsaples, see her cookbooks ‘Sweet Greek’ and ‘Sweet Greek Life’.