One of my New Year resolutions is to cut out processed foods and instead eat all whole foods. I have a tried and true Vasilopita recipe that I make every year, and it never fails me, but it’s made with a lot of sugar and white flour. So this year I wanted to try a recipe that used whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. I found one that works great! I had to modify it a little but the results were delicious and I learned how to make meringue for the first time! So check out this traditional New Year cake to celebrate St Basil’s feast day and the New Year with Vasilopita!

If you're unfamiliar with vasilopita, it's a special cake make on New Years to commemorate St Basil's feast day (Jan 1)! You can read all about the tradition in this blogpost.

This tradition is said to be based on the story that follows: during a time of famine, the emperor demanded an excessive tax from the people of Caesarea, so each family had to give up all their valuables – money and/or jewelry. Upon finding out this injustice, St. Basil fearlessly defended his people, calling the emperor to repentance. The emperor was moved by St. Basil’s speech, canceled the tax and returned all the valuables to the Saint. The Saint was faced with a daunting task: out of a large amount of items, he had to return each one to its rightful owner. He prayed, then prepared a huge cake and baked the treasures inside of it. After calling his flock to prayer, he blessed and cut the cake, offering a piece to each person. Miraculously, each owner received his own valuables in his piece of the cake. Vasilopitas have been baked on St. Basil’s feast day every year since his repose, to commemorate this miracle.

Watch this video on how we make it on YouTube

Youtube

Vasilopita with Whole Wheat Flour and Honey

Ingredients

6 eggs in room temperature
2 sticks grass fed butter
1 cup honey
1 cup orange juice
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1-1/2 tbsp baking powder
Zest of two orange
Shredded coconut to decorate

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven at 360F and butter a 10 inches round baking sheet. (or I used 2 eight inch round cake pans).

2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks

3. In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites until they form a soft meringue

4. In a separate mixing bowl beat well the egg yolks and butter to incorporate

5. Add the honey and continue to beat until it is well incorporated

6. Add the orange juice and zest and stir

7. Add the whole wheat flour, almond flour and baking powder and stir

8.Stir in slowly the meringue in 3 batches using a folding motion

9. Place the cake batter into the baking sheet. You can wrap the coin in foil and place it into the batter now or you can place it inside after its been baked and cooled.

10. Bake for at least 45 min and then start checking with a knife or toothpick if it comes out clean. It might take up to 1 hour to bake fully.

11. When ready, let it cool down before you decorate with shredded coconut

If you need a gluten free recipe check out this Gluten Free Vasilopita Recipe by Ms Modify Blog

Prayer to Bless your Vasilopita at Home

Gather all members of your household together. The head of the household will make the sign of the cross over the vasilopita and pray a special prayer/blessing over the vasilopita while saying, "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." All respond "Amen."

Then pieces of the Vasilopita are cut in the following order:

The 1st piece is set aside for Christ

The 2nd piece for Theotokos

The 3rd piece for St Basil

and the 4th piece for the poor.

Then pieces are given to all present, beginning with the eldest and ending with youngest. The one who receives the piece containing the coin is traditionally considered to be especially blessed for the New Year.

✨Prayer for Vasilopita ✨

Let us pray unto the Lord. Lord, have mercy. O Creator of all things, Lord and King of the ages, plenteous in mercy and bountiful in goodness, who didst accept the Magi’s gifts in Bethlehem, who art the Bread of life that came down from heaven, who by Thine authority didst establish the seasons and the years and dost hold our life in Thy hands. Hear us who pray to Thee on this holy day upon our entrance into the new year of Thy goodness and bless (+) this loaf/cake, which has been offered to Thy glory and in honour of our Father among the Saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Do Thou who art Benevolent, look down from Thy holy heaven and send down upon us, upon those who have offered these gifts and upon them that partake thereof, Thine heavenly gifts, for our hope is in Thee, the living God, unto the ages. Bless this parish (home, school, foundation, etc) and our entrances and exits; replenish our life with all good things and direct our footsteps that we may keep Thy divine commandments, for man shall not live by bread alone; Through the intercessions of Thy Most pure Mother, of our Father among the saints Basil the Great and of all Thy saints who from all ages have been well pleasing to Thee. Amen.

So what do you do with these set aside pieces? They are set aside, and ideally, they are wrapped/packaged up and given away to others! We usually set them aside and wrap them up for our neighbors. If no member of your household received the coin, just make sure to warn the recipients there might be a coin inside one you warn them!

- Khouria Destinie