Vasilopita, also known as St. Basil’s Pie or King’s Pie—a Greek Cypriot tradition that’s as meaningful as it is delicious!

In Greek, “Vasili” translates to Basil, and “Vasilia” means King, making this cake a tribute to St. Basil. It’s a moist, citrus-infused cake steeped in symbolism and enjoyed on New Year’s Day. Each home has it’s own version whether a cake or bread.

The magic? A hidden coin baked inside. Whoever finds the coin in their slice is said to have good fortune and blessings for the year— I love watching my family eagerly rummage through their piece like they are searching of gold. The winner? The slice reserved for our home—a sign of fortune and blessings for us all. This year, I went a little untraditional and added a zesty orange liqueur cranberry filling. 🍊 Think citrusy, vibrant, and perfect for beating the winter blues. Trust me, this cake isn’t just for New Year’s—it’s your winter survival kit in dessert form.

Happy New Year, Xronia Polla and Kalo Mina and may St Vasilios bring you and your loved ones good fortune and blessings this year. Xo 

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Cranberry Orange Blossom Vasilopita

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cypriot, Greek

Keyword: bundt, cake, cranberry

Yield: 8 -10 people

Materials

Cranberry Sauce

• 2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or zest and juice of a medium orange
• 1 inch cinnamon stick

Cake

• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 cup butter unsalted and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup quality honey
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• Zest and juice of one large orange about 1/3 cup
• 1/4 cup orange blossom water
• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

• To make sauce, add all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat to a slight boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cranberries have softened and sauce is a thick consistency. Remove from heat to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 10-cup bundt cake pan with butter and set aside.
• To make cake, in a medium bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the butter and honey together for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add yogurt, orange juice, orange blossom and mix to combine. Begin adding the flour mixture a little bit at a time.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix for a couple of minutes until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Place the batter into the prepared pan, reserving 1/3 of the batter. Spread cranberry sauce evenly on top of batter. Using a knife, swirl the cranberry sauce ton evenly spread it out. Top with remaining batter and using a spatula, spread it evenly in the pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let cake stand for 3 minutes and remove from the pan onto a cake stand or serving platter. Let cake stand to room temperature and dust generously with icing sugar before serving.