Christmas Masterclass: Vasilopita, Melomakarona and Gingerbread Techniques for Professionals
How do professional bakeries in Cyprus prepare for the busiest season of the year? At Cyprus Millers Academy’s Christmas Masterclass, held on 4 and 5 November 2026, bakers and pastry professionals learned new Vasilopita, Melomakarona and Gingerbread recipes they can put on their shelves this Christmas.
The two-day professional seminar, The Christmas Experience: Festive Baking Masterclass, was led by Thanos Spanos, HoReCa Technical Consultant at Kenfood Greece, using Kenfood and Kaizen bakery mixes. Every recipe was demonstrated live at the CM Academy training kitchen in Cyprus.
Vasilopita Recipes: 8 Versions with 3 bakery mixes
The Vasilopita (Greek New Year’s Cake) is one of the best-selling Christmas products for any bakery. The masterclass covered eight versions, grouped by the mix used.
Kaizen Spitikon Mix:
- Vasilopita with Orange and Icing Sugar
- Syrup-Soaked Vasilopita with Pastry Fillo Pistachio
- Gingerbread Cake Vasilopita
- Layer Cake Vasilopita with Commandaria Frosting
Kenfood Zest Cake Mix:
- Vasilopita with Orange and Icing Sugar
- Melomakarono Vasilopita with Dark Chocolate
- Pumpkin Spice Vasilopita
Kenfood Family Cake:
- Vasilopita with Orange and Icing Sugar
Melomakarona: Speculoos-Lotus and Red Velvet
Melomakarona, the traditional Greek honey cookies, weer given two modern twists. The Speculoos-Lotus melomakarona use Kaizen Spitikon Mix, while Red Velvet Melomakarona use Kenfood Zest Cake Mix and are dipped in warm syrup and finished with white chocolate and pistachio. Participants learned how to get the right texture and how long to soak each batch.
Gingerbread Houses and Cookie Trees
Festive centerpieces sell well and attract attention in the shop window. Participants watched a gingerbread house come together from start to finish, assembled and decorated with royal icing.
The session also covered Christmas cookie trees: star-shaped cookies, iced and stacked into a showpiece.
Professional Bakery Training at CM Academy
At Cyprus Millers Academy, our mission is to empower the baking and pastry professionals of Cyprus with knowledge, hands-on training and quality ingredients, helping them grow and their craft and their business.
Thank you
We would like to thank Thanos Spanos for sharing his expertise and every baker and pastry professional who spent these two days with us. Your questions, ideas and passion for the craft are what make every CM Academy seminar special. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
