Galette des Rois a FRENCH KING CAKE

I still remember celebrating January 6th Three Kings Day with a Galette des Rois a French King Cake, as a little girl living in France.  Epiphany day was always a big celebration for French people.

My mom would bring home this delicious galette des rois for Three Kings Day. The French King Cake had porcelain figurines to represent baby Jesus and whoever found it became King or Queen with a paper crown on their head. To think this is what we fought for was a paper crown!

The older I get the more precious this story sounds to me. To think, these 3 kings came to witness the birth of Christ and the story lives on all these years. This is one of the reasons I collect nativity sets from different cultures and the one thing that surprises me the most is, they all have 3 kings by the manger.

Three Kings Day which is known as Epiphany in the Catholic religions, is recognized as a Christian tradition and a national holiday in many European countries. This is part of French tradition, and growing up, we had our King Cake as children. So one of the things I try to do every year is buy a King Cake at my local French Bakery or make one. This is much different than the traditional King Cake from Louisiana.

New Orleans,  LA - Mardi Gras, the cake is more of sweet bread with powdered sugar and colored purple, green, and gold. These are the main colors of royalty. They usually include beads and the small baby is inside the cake. You can order this cake online: kingkingcakes.com

France - The delicious galette des rois is a round shape made with puff pastry and almond filling with a little charm in the cake. French bakeries are filled with this traditional dessert with a crown to take home so the winner can be King or Queen for the night. 

I introduced this French tradition to Jeffrey and now we celebrate on January 6th every year. The cake is perfect for dessert with accompanied champagne. Jeff of course does his duck dance of victory every time he finds the baby. Not to mention he wears his crown with pride around the house and acts like a king for a day.

This French King Cake consists of a buttery puff pastry, almond cream filling, and a lucky charm, called la fève, hidden away. While there are different recipes, the cake symbolizes the warmth and abundance of life.

History of the King Cake

To truly understand the origins of this beloved pastry, we must take a step back in time and explore its ancient beginnings. One of the earliest recorded references to a cake resembling the King Cake dates back to ancient Rome.

Tradition parade of Epiphany Befana medieval festival in Florence, Tuscany, Italy

During the mid-winter festival of Saturnalia, Romans would gather to celebrate the winter solstice. As part of the festivities, they would bake a cake with hidden beans or coins inside. Whoever discovered these hidden objects would be crowned the "King of the Bean" for the day, enjoying special privileges and honors.

People chanting prayers during Ethiopian Epiphany known as Timket or Timkat.

Moving forward several centuries, we find the French King Cake's roots intertwined with the traditions of the early Christian church. In the early Middle Ages, the Church celebrated the Feast of Epiphany on January 6th, marking the arrival of the three wise men to the baby Jesus. This occasion, known as the Twelfth Night, was a momentous event in the medieval calendar.

Big crowds at Three Wise Men parade in Sevilla on January 6.

To honor the visit of the Magi, a special cake was baked and served during the Feast of Epiphany. This cake, known as the Galette des Rois, was typically made with puff pastry and filled with almond cream. Much like the Roman version, the Galette des Rois contained a hidden trinket, often a figurine representing the baby Jesus or a crown. The person who found the trinket in their slice would be declared the "king" or "queen" of the day.

The city of Romny, Ukraine, a ritual of bathing in the ice hole for Epiphany. people come to swim in the river for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

In medieval France, the King Cake held significance beyond its delicious taste. It symbolized the biblical story of the three wise men or magi who followed the star to Bethlehem to visit the baby Jesus. Just as the kings brought gifts to the Christ child, the King Cake was associated with the sharing of gifts and blessings during Epiphany.

The French King Cake not only holds a rich medieval history but also carries significant religious symbolism. Just as the three magi journeyed to find the baby Jesus, the cake's hidden figurine represents the baby Jesus himself. In this way, the French King Cake becomes a symbolic representation of the Epiphany, the Christian holiday that celebrates the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world.

The religious symbolism of the cake goes even further. The golden crown placed atop the cake signifies the royalty of Jesus, the King of Kings. This echoes the biblical concept of Jesus being the ultimate ruler and leader.

How to Make a French King Cake

Ingredients

• 2 sheet puff pastry dough
• apricot jam
• butter, room temperature
• sugar
• eggs
• almond meal or almond paste
• cognac 

Method

• Preheated oven oven to 400º degrees.
• Divide the store-bought puff pastry into 2 sheets, roll out each sheet of puff pastry, and cut into a 9-inch wide circle. I use a cake pan as a guide.
• Put one round puff pastry on a baking tray with parchment paper underneath and spread the apricot jam on top to within 1 inch of the edges.

• With a stand mixer, beat the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Mix in the almonds meal and cognac until you have a thick paste consistency.
• Spoon the mixture over the jam, spreading it evenly but not to the edge.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with water, then cover with the second piece, pressing the edges to seal. 
• Mix an egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the top with the egg wash.

• Mark the top of the pastry from the center to the edges like the spokes of a wheel or in a zig-zag pattern, whichever you would like.

• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve warm or cold.

More French Recipes to Enjoy

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and left with an appreciation of how long this recipe has traveled to many countries around the world. That concludes our journey today with one of my French favorites. Till next time my beautiful friends as my quest for the perfect bite continues, As the French would say, Bon Appétit!