French King Cake (Galette des Rois)

Truth be told, one of my favorite treats of the Christmas season is the Galette des Rois, or King Cake. Traditionally this cake is served on January 6, to celebrate the Epiphany–the day the three kings visited the infant Jesus.

Like it’s New Orleans Cousin, a French King Cake is part pastry, part party game. Each Galette des Rois is presented with a crown and a feve, or trinket, has been baked into it. There are variations on the rules, but essentially if your slice contains the feve, you are crowned king (or queen) for the day.

While the New Orlean’s version that marks the start of Mardi Gras is served similarly, the pastry itself is very different. The Louisiana version is somewhere between coffee cake and a cinnamon roll. It is often filled with cream cheese and/or fruit, iced with a sweet frosting and decorated in Mardi Gras colors of green, purple and gold.

Unlike it’s American cousin, the French Galette des Rois is an indulgent combination of buttery puffed pastry and frangipani filling. It’s beauty lies in its decadent simplicity.

I admit that I have been counting down the days to the Epiphany the past couple weeks. I started weeks ago by getting some real feve for the occasion. In the past, my Galette des Rois baking has been a last minute kind of thing and I have used a bean or a piece of chocolate. However, I decided this was the year I would do it right, so online shopping I went.

Finding French feve here in the USA is not impossible, but it does take a little more work thank you’d expect. There are a limited number of vendors who import the tiny porcelain trinkets from France. However, once you find them (Etsy is a good place to look!), the selection is mind-blowing. There are so many themes and styles to choose from. The detail and quality is incredible, especially given that these tiny trinkets measure about one inch tall! I ended up with a bunch of them because I couldn’t decide which I loved most. Apparently they also have a collectors’ market. Who knew?

A Galette des Rois looks complicated and impressive, but in truth it is pretty easy to make if you use prepared puff-pastry. Just don’t tell anyone that I cheat!

This year’s cake is probably not as pretty as some I’ve made in the past. However, it is much more meaningful. I had the frangipani made and was ready to assemble when my daughter came in asked to help. It was nice having the company and it was fun making memories together. She’s such a cute sous chef!

French King Cake (Galette des Rois)

Recipe by Kacey Baxter, Oven and SpiceCourse: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

The French King Cake (Galette des Rois) is traditionally served in celebration of the Epiphany–the day the Three Kings visited baby Jesus. It is commonly found at French bakeries throughout the month of January. However, this version is so easy to make, you can enjoy it anytime of year. Even better, it can be made ahead and baked later in the day when you are closer to serving time.

Ingredients

• 6 tbs (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 3/4 cup (85 grams) granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (85 grams) almond flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbs dark rum

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• 1 17-ounce package puff pastry dough

Directions

• In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and light. Add in almond flour and salt and beat until combined. Mix in one whole egg and the white from the second egg (save the yolk!). Finally, mix in the rum, vanilla and almond extract. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour (or up to 3 days if making ahead).
• Mix the reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon cold water, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out the puff pastry slightly so that it measures 9-inches on the shortest side. Using a dinner plate, cut a circle from the pastry. Repeat with the remaining piece of puff pastry so that you have two 9-inch circles.
• Place one circle of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the filling from the refrigerator and spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border bare. Press the feve into the filling. Moisten the border of the dough with water, then position the second pastry circle over the filling and seal using your finger tips. Scallop the edges of the pastry with the back of a butter knife by pushing into the dough (about 1/4 inch deep) every 1/2 inch or so. Take a pairing knife or lame and etch a design into the top of the galette, taking care not to pierce the dough. Cut six small slits in the top of the galette for steam vents. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 425 F. Remove galette from the refrigerator and brush a thin layer of the reserved egg yolk over the galette, avoiding the border.
• Place the galette in the hot oven and immediately turn heat down to 400F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the galette is puffed and deeply golden. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 15 minutes. Don’t worry if the galette deflates some as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

• Don’t forget to warn guests about the feve, especially if you are using something non-edible like a porcelain or plastic trinket!