My Grand Marnier and White Chocolate Vassilopita is based on a pound cake but in order to make it a “Vassilopita”, I added fresh orange juice, orange zest and instead of the traditional brandy, I added Grand Marnier.
The New Year’s Cake called “Vassilopita” is a cake with a coin in it. This year I made this Grand Marnier Vassilopita topped with White Chocolate glaze. It’s easy to make and so aromatic.
Before making the cake I asked my daughter which one of the many different Vassilopita cakes I made in the past. She said she didn’t mind which one, so long as it had a white chocolate glaze on top!
The New Year’s Cake with white Chocolate Glaze
The chocolate glaze is very simple to make. I just melted the chocolate in a bain Mari (double boiler) and mixed in some butter, just to keep it soft.
You can read the tradition of Vassilopita in my very first post for Vassilopita which I posted in 2007 and which is the most traditional one.
This is not the first Vassilopita cake I made over the past nine years of blogging. Every now and then I like to experiment and create something different.
Every year I think it’s going to be the last Vassilopita I made because they are all so good but you know me, I like to be creative and challenge myself to do something new!
You can find the links to more Vassilopita recipes at the end. All of them are great and whichever, you choose to make, you will not regret it as they are all amazing!
New Year's Cake with Grand Marnier & White Chocolate Glaze
Vassilopita is the Greek New Year's Cake with a coin in it. This year I made a Grand Marnier Vassilopita topped with White Chocolate glaze. It's easy to make and so aromatic.
Ingredients
- 250 grams butter
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 6 eggs (65 - 67 grams each, with shell), separated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 50 ml Grand Marnier
- 175 grams toasted and pulverized almonds
- 200 grams cake flour, sifted (or 155 grams all-purpose flour and 45 grams corn flour)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Glazing:
- 250 grams white chocolate
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F.
- While the oven is preheating toast the almonds until lightly brown. Set aside to cool and pulverize them in the food processor.
- Line a 10 inch (25.5 cm) cake pan with parchment paper and butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
- Combine the flour with the corn flour, zest and salt.
- Wash a coin, wipe it and wrap it in aluminium foil.
- In your mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar together for about ten minutes until white and fluffy.
- Add the yolks and mix to combine.
- Add the orange juice, Grand Marnier and vanilla.
- Scrape the sides of your mixer bowl using a rubber spatula.
- Turn the mixer to low, add the almonds and flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Meanwhile add the lemon juice to the egg whites and beat until the meringue is stiff.
- Turn off the mixer and using a spatula gently fold the meringue in the batter.
- Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with the rubber spatula and put the coin in the batter.
- Shake it a bit to distribute the batter evenly.
- Bake in the middle level of the oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean.
- Remove pan to a rack and let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and reverse cake to remove the parchment paper.
- Allow it to cool for an hour before decorating.
- Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (bain Mari). Add the butter and mix until incorporated.
- Spread the warm glaze over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 551Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 147mgSodium 374mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 2gSugar 35gProtein 9g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."
Vassilopita Recipes
There are two types of Vassilopita. One is a cake type and the other a brioche (Tsoureki type). You can use either one.
Here are some more Vassilopitas to choose from!
White Chocolate-Grand Marnier Vassilopita
Vassilopita is the Greek New Year's Cake with a coin in it. Â This year I made a Grand Marnier Vassilopita topped with White Chocolate glaze. Â It's easy to make and so aromatic.
Chocolate Almond Raspberry Coffee Cake (Vassilopita)
This delicious Chocolate Almond Raspberry Coffee Cake  is moist, buttery, nutty and is great for all occasions. It is simple and easy to make and tastes amazing!
Vassilopita Almond Cake 2015
A delicious Vasilopita Cake, infused with the aromas and blends of orange and almond, to celebrate the coming of the New year!
Every New Year gives you the perfect chance to start something new and fresh. So do your bit this year and make the world a better place for yourself and others.
Happy New Year 2017!
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
Sam
Friday 24th of February 2017
This looks yummy, I m gonna make it soon. Thanks for sharing with us!
Jane
Friday 13th of January 2017
wow.... The cake looks Good ... Excellent post... Thank you for sharing this post....
Kyle Bloom
Wednesday 11th of January 2017
The winter cake i wanna make. Thank you for this recipe and Happy New Year.
Jenny
Thursday 5th of January 2017
WOW! The ingredients are easy to find and the procedures is clear thanks a lot for sharing this recipe. I'll do some for my mother's birthday!
Regards, Jenny
Angie
Saturday 31st of December 2016
The cake looks grand, Ivy. Happy New Year to you and yours!