Dreikönigskuchen aka. Three King’s Cake is a traditional yeast cake from southern Germany and Switzerland. At home at Lake Constance, you bake this cake for January 6th – the day of the Three Wise Kings. An important day for the Catholic Church – and for us regular folks an important day because of the delicious cake you get served ;)
In southern Germany, January 6th is a public holiday and you don’t have to work on that day (unlike here in Berlin where we do not celebrate that day). My family often had a nice breakfast on this day since nobody had to work that day and of course, a cake like this one here was mandatory. A fluffy and sweet yeasted cake, very similar to a brioche which is absolutely perfect for breakfast or brunch. One of my favorite bakes. Of all bakes ;)
The King’s Cake in Germany and Switzerland has a little surprise baked into it. I’m not talking about the rum-soaked raisins (which you can leave out if children are also eating the cake and can be replaced with chocolate chips, for example) – a proper King’s Cake always has a little king figure hidden inside, or if there is no little king available some use an almond or hazelnut instead. This little king (or nut) has been added before baking and the person that finds it during breakfast will be the king of the day. The king usually gets the crown* and in some families, that person even gets a small gift. Did not happen in my family, but we were always fine with just the crown and the title ;)
As a child I have, of course, ALWAYS found that little king in the cake – even if I had to eat half of the cake for the opportunity to be crowned as a king.
I think this is a nice tradition that families should keep and teach their children. In Spain, they also have a traditional King’s Cake. It’s called “Roscón de Reyes“. That cake usually has two different objects hidden inside. One nut to determine the king of the day and an additional bean. Whoever finds that bean has to bake or buy the King’s Cake for the next year. Sounds like something a Swabian could have come up with ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the dough:
3-4 tbsp. raisins
1-2 tsp. rum (optional)
0.74 oz. (21g) fresh yeast
1 1/4 cup (300ml) lukewarm milk
3 tbsp. sugar
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (60g) butter, at room temperature
1 almond or hazelnut
For the decoration:
1 medium egg
pearl sugar crystals and/or sliced almonds
Für den Teig:
3-4 EL Rosinen
1-2 TL Rum (optional)
21g frische Hefe
300ml lauwarme Milch
3 EL Zucker
500g Mehl (Type 550)
Abrieb einer 1/2 Zitrone
1 TL Salz
60g weiche Butter
1 Mandel oder Haselnuss
Für die Dekoration:
1 Ei (M), verquirlt
Hagelzucker und/oder gehobelte Mandeln
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Mix the raisins with the rum and let soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight (optional). If kids should eat the cake, you can skip the step with the rum and use the raisins plain.
2. Crumble the yeast and add to a small bowl, mix with some lukewarm milk and a little of the sugar until the yeast has dissolved. Add the flour to a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast milk. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then add the remaining milk, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and butter and knead everything for about 10 minutes until you get a nice and smooth dough. Right before the end of the kneading time, add the (soaked) raisins and knead in. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
3. Knock the air out of the dough, weight out 8 portions of dough with approx. 3.2 oz. (90g) each and shape each dough portion into a ball. Shape the remaining dough into a ball as well and “hide” the almond or hazelnut in one of the balls. Make sure that the raisins in the dough are not sticking out of the surface of the balls, otherwise, they will burn during baking. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, place the large ball in the center and arrange the smaller balls around it. Cover everything with a kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Whisk the egg and then brush the risen dough balls with it, sprinkle with a little pearl sugar crystals and sliced almonds, then bake in the lower third of the oven for about 28-30 minutes. If the king cake gets a little dark towards the end of the baking time, simply cover with some aluminum foil and continue baking. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
1. Rosinen mit dem Rum vermischen und mind. 30 Minuten ziehen lassen – kann man auch über Nacht einweichen lassen (optional). Wenn für Kinder mitessen sollen, kann man das Einlegen in Rum auch auslassen.
2. Die Hefe zerbröckeln und in eine kleine Schüssel geben, mit etwas lauwarmer Milch und ein wenig vom Zucker verrühren, bis sich die Hefe aufgelöst hat. Mehl in eine große Schüssel geben, in die Mitte eine Mulde hineindrücken und die Hefemilch hineingeben. Für etwa 5 Minuten stehen lassen. Die restliche Milch, Zucker, den Abrieb der Zitrone, Salz und die weiche Butter dazugeben und alles in etwa 10 Minuten zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Kurz vor Ende der Zeit die (eingeweichten) Rosinen dazugeben und unterkneten. Den Teig in der Schüssel abdecken und an einem warmen Ort für etwa 2 Stunden gehen lassen, bis sich das Volumen verdoppelt hat.
3. Den Teig kurz boxen, damit die Luft entweichen kann, dann 8 Teigportionen mit jeweils 90g abwiegen und zu Kugeln formen. Den restlichen Teig ebenfalls zu einer größeren Kugel formen – in einer der Teigkugeln die Mandel oder Haselnuss “verstecken”. Achtet darauf, dass die Rosinen möglichst nicht an der Oberseite der Kugeln herausschauen, weil die sonst beim Backen verbrennen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen, die große Kugel in die Mitte setzen und die kleineren Kugeln darum herum anordnen. Alles abdecken und noch einmal etwa 30 Minuten gehen lassen.
4. Während der Teig geht, den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) vorheizen. Das Ei verquirlen und die gegangenen Teigkugeln damit bestreichen, mit etwas Hagelzucker und gehobelten Mandeln bestreuen und dann im unteren Drittel des Ofens für etwa 28-30 Minuten backen. Sollte der Königskuchen gegen Ende der Backzeit etwas dunkel werden, einfach mit etwas Alufolie abdecken und weiterbacken. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Classic German “Dreikönigskuchen” aka. King’s Cake
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 03:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: Germany
Description
Classic bake from Germany for the day of the Three Wise Kings – it’s called “Dreikönigskuchen” (Three King’s Cake) and has a little surprise hidden.
Ingredients
For the dough:
3-4 tbsp. raisins
1-2 tsp. rum (optional)
0.74 oz. (21g) fresh yeast
1 1/4 cup (300ml) lukewarm milk
3 tbsp. sugar
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (60g) butter, at room temperature
1 almond or hazelnut
For the decoration:
1 medium egg
pearl sugar crystals and/or sliced almonds
Instructions
1. Mix the raisins with the rum and let soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight (optional). If kids should eat the cake, you can skip the step with the rum and use the raisins plain.
2. Crumble the yeast and add to a small bowl, mix with some lukewarm milk and a little of the sugar until the yeast has dissolved. Add the flour to a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the yeast milk. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then add the remaining milk, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and butter and knead everything for about 10 minutes until you get a nice and smooth dough. Right before the end of the kneading time, add the (soaked) raisins and knead in. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
3. Knock the air out of the dough, weight out 8 portions of dough with approx. 3.2 oz. (90g) each and shape each dough portion into a ball. Shape the remaining dough into a ball as well and “hide” the almond or hazelnut in one of the balls. Make sure that the raisins in the dough are not sticking out of the surface of the balls, otherwise, they will burn during baking. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, place the large ball in the center and arrange the smaller balls around it. Cover everything with a kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Whisk the egg and then brush the risen dough balls with it, sprinkle with some pearl sugar crystals and sliced almonds, then bake in the lower third of the oven for about 28-30 minutes. If the king cake gets a little dark towards the end of the baking time, simply cover with some aluminum foil and continue baking. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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Hi Marc,
Thanks for posting this recipe. I tried it this past week-end, changed it a little bit so I can use the ingredients I had at hand and the result was a nice bread!!
All the best…
Khadija
Great! Happy it worked and you liked it! :)
Cheers,
Marc
Would this be the same bread tradition where a grandmother would put a dime, nickel, penny and button in the middle of each round piece ? I wanted to find and bake the recipe my 90 y.o. father calls it “three kings” only he says it in German. :)
Hi Julia,
As I explained already in the article – this is a brioche (or bread) where you hide a little king figure (or anything else you have – could be a penny) inside one of the buns. Not in each of them. Unless you want more than one king in your family ;))
Cheers Marc
Made this today for Epiphany and my family loved it. Delicious and special without being too heavy or sweet. Thank you!