It has become a tradition in our house to bake two "Galettes des Rois" or "Dreikönigskuchen" ("King Cakes") every year for the "Fête des Rois" or "Dreikönigstag" (" Festival of Epiphany") on the 6th of January.
Epiphany is widely celebrated in France by serving this type of cake. It originated in the tiny village of Pithiviers, about eighty kilometers south of Paris, and was brought to the city by Marie Antoine Carême. Hidden in the pillow of puff pastry is a delightfully moist almond cream. Take care when baking that the puff pastry does not overcook while the almond cream is still uncooked.
While I translate "Galette des Rois" or "Dreikönigskuchen" with "King Cake", this French puff pastry cake is quite different in taste from the sweet and colorful yeast cakes served on Fat Tuesday during Mardi Gras season in New Orleans or the "King Cakes" baked in other parts of the world, such as Spain or Portugal, to name but a few. But all those "King Cakes" are baked to honor the Three Wise Men and contain a small figurine, almond, bean or even a coin wrapped in foil.
Recipe for "Galette des Rois" - "Dreikönigskuchen"
Ingredients
- 500 grams (17 1/2 ounces) puff pastry (of course, feel free to make your own puff pastry)
Ingredients for the Filling
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) superfine (caster) sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 30 grams (1 ounce) AP (plain) flour
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) ground almonds (I always leave the skins on before grinding the almonds)
- beaten egg wash
Optional Addition to the Filling
- Small porcelain figurine/whole almond/bean or coin wrapped tightly in a small piece of aluminium foil
Ingredients for the Glaze
- some apricot jam (strained)
- 60 grams (2 ounces) flaked almonds
Preparation of the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the pastry and cut two 23 cm (9 inches) circles. Chill while preparing the filling.
- Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolk and beat for three minutes.
- Beat in the flour and the ground almonds.
- Place one of the pastry circles on the prepared baking sheet and brush a 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) border of egg wash around the edge of the pastry circle.
- Place the filling in the center, keeping it inside the egg wash border, and shape it into a mound 2 cm (3/4 inches) high in the middle. NOTE: If you would like to add a figurine, nut, bean or coin, do it now by gently pushing it into the filling and procced with the recipe.
- Top with the second pastry circle.
- Crimp around the edge with your fingertips or use the tines of a fork.
- Use a small sharp knife to lightly mark lines on top of the pastry.
- Brush with beaten egg wash.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until both base and top are baked and transfer to a wire rack.
- Brush top and sides with apricot glaze and sprinkle sides/border with flaked almonds.
Of course, the person who finds the small porcelain figurine in his or her piece of cake gets to wear the golden paper crown that is placed on top of the cake after it has cooled and been glazed with some apricot jam. - King or Queen for a day!
I love the story of the Galette des Rois - King cake. Such a lovely
ReplyDeletetradition. Growing up, my mother always made Bretonne cake at
Christmas time, My Dad came from Brittany and that is a specialty
in that region. I have made it many times and we love it.
Happy New Year.
Nana: thanks for the wonderful comment - it is always such a pleasure to "compare traditions" with you and your family - I love reading about your experiences and look froward to all your comments! Happy New Year to you and have a wonderful "Fête des Rois" - "Dreikönigstag"!
DeleteA delicious cake made by a professional cook. This cake has a long history behind it and what better way to honor that history than by making such a work of art out of it.
ReplyDeleteFrédéric, merci mille fois pour ton très gentil commentaire! J´apprécie beaucoup ton soutien!
DeleteWhen I was a kid I wouldn´t miss the coming of the Wise Men, because they obviously brought gifts. We would leave a bowl of water and sometimes grass for the camels, and our shoes so they could be stuffed with presents. Every year I say I will make a King´s Cake and never do. This is a wonderful recipe Andrea!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paula - this is indeed a recipe that is very dear to my heart - it was given to me years ago by one of my best friends (at my incessant insistence) I have prepared it every year since and plan on doing so for a many, many years to come.
DeleteMy Italian neighbor celebrated with a King's Cake today which she received as a gift. However, it was store-bought. One of our friends, who is Spanish, just had a baby and her Mother just arrived from Spain to help with the newborn. She is staying 6 months!!!!! However, this week she is going to make a traditional King's Cake for all of us. We are excited about that. Since our younger daughter, Lindsay, went to Tulane Law School in New Orleans, we always had a Mardi Gras King Cake. I even made them myself for a year or two. You're right. Totally different. And, you have to be willing to eat something that is purple! Not easy. Do you make two cakes so both your girls get to wear a crown?
ReplyDeleteMary, aren´t these holidays wonderful - well, we celebrate it for many different reasons - one of them being that I was born in Cologne and in the Cologne Cathedral, there is the so-called "Shrine of the Three Kings", that is the relics of Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar-the city patrons of Cologne. The relics were given to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164. The Three Kings have since attracted a constant stream of pilgrims to Cologne and the 6th of January is celebrated as a holiday in Cologne to this day.
DeleteWhat a beautiful post. I love reading about your special customs!
ReplyDeleteBeth, thanks so much - it is nice to keep some customs or to even create some new ones that the whole family can enjoy - the kids love these celebratory cakes and I quite enjoy baking them for us - they taste delicious too. I am truly grateful to my friend who gave me the recipe a long time ago.
DeleteThis is a wonderful post. I love hearing about other traditions. Your King Cake is truly beautiful. The crown on top is perfect. :)
ReplyDeleteKristin, thanks so much for your wonderful comment - it is fun to write about traditions that have really become (or seem to have always been) an important part of our lives.
DeleteIt is a lovely tradition. Your cakes look so pretty with the kings' crowns.
ReplyDeleteElaine, thank you - it is nice to bake these pretty cakes - we love the way they taste and look and traditions are just a nice thing to have and keep.
DeleteI love your galette! For some reason, I totally missed this day last week. Ohh well, maybe next year!
ReplyDeleteHard for me to miss that special day because three of my childrens´ second names are based on the names of the three wise men - so, we make sure to always mark that special date by baking these cakes.
DeleteAndrea…such a lovely tradition! Beautiful galette-des-rois…love the presentation!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kathy!
DeleteC'était absolument délicieux ! Dommage que je ne recu aucune figurine par contre. Meilleure chance l'année prochaine :(
ReplyDeleteAnd there will be a next time and then you will certainly be one of the lucky ones to get a porcelain figurine - glad you enjoyed the cake!
DeleteLove that you carry on the tradition. You are right as the cake is very different from the ones I've seen baked in Louisiana. Yours is a very refined and beautiful. Love your little collection of porcelain figurines that you use. Karen
ReplyDeleteKaren, thank you! That little collection is so very dear to my heart, I am desperate to get more of these little porcelain figurines but so far, no luck - I will have to search more.
DeleteYour king cake looks so elegant.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much - the French certainly know how to create an elegant dessert recipe - I really enjoy this version and the kids have a lot of fun with this cake too.
Delete