Ev'S Vasilopita - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces butter, softened to room temperature (375 gr)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 2 ounces Cointreau liqueur (I used 2 shot glasses, maybe more, I may have consumed the contents of a couple of those glasses mys) or 2 ounces drambuie (I used 2 shot glasses, maybe more, I may have consumed the contents of a couple of those glasses mys)
6 extra-large eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup milk
1 large orange, juice and zest of
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
12 ounces mixed chopped toasted nuts (I use a combo of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts)

Preparation

Also will need: 1 coin washed and wrapped in aluminum foil.
Preheat oven to 350F (170C). Butter and flour a 12-inch round pan or springform pan generously.
Beat butter with sugar until light-coloured and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Beat in vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, cognac (or other liquor of choice). Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
Beat in flour on low speed, a cupful at a time, until incorporated. Towards the end, when the batter is starting to get very thick and you think your mixer is going to break down, add the buttermilk, orange juice (into which you stir the baking soda JUST before adding it to the batter - careful, it will foam up) and zest, alternately with the remaining flour, until everything is incorporated and distributed.
Add the nuts and incorporate.
Drop the foil-wrapped coin into the batter and empty the batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes (approximately). Cover cake pan loosely with a piece of foil if cake is browning too fast. Do the toothpick test to ensure the cake has baked.
Remove, allow to cool 1/2 an hour and turn out of pan. Cool completely and place on your prettiest platter.
Dust with icing sugar to resemble snow. Decorate with coloured sugars, pine cones, red and gold ribbons - anything to give it a pretty, festive air.
Bring in the New Year with much Good Health, Love, Happiness, and Prosperity.
Hronia sas polla. :-).