Vasilopita — New Year's Cake with a Coin

Preheat your oven to 170°C. Grease and flour a 26cm round baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. It should be pale yellow and airy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and ground mastic.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.

Stir in the orange zest and vanilla extract. The batter should be smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Carefully push the clean coin into the batter, ensuring it is fully covered.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should be golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, dust generously with powdered sugar before serving. Traditionally, you can write the year on top with powdered sugar or almonds.