New Year’s Eve is normally the end of all celebrations for the year and the next event to celebrate, cook, bake, and eat a lot is around Easter. Well, not everywhere – Epiphany aka. Three Kings’ Day in January is also an important day to celebrate and eat. Not that much food and parties though ;P On that day you normally just serve a traditional King Cake like this “Galette des Rois”, have a coffee with the family, and call it a day…

Epiphany cakes have a long tradition in Europe. The “Galette des Rois” dates back to the Middle Ages – evolved from a Roman tradition to celebrate Saturn into a Christian tradition to celebrate the three wise kings. The customs surrounding Epiphany cakes are quite similar these days but the cakes themselves are quite different in each culture.
In Germany (especially southern Germany) and Switzerland, a yeast cake is served for Epiphany, consisting of several dough balls baked together. In Spain, you can often find yeast cakes in ring form, filled with delicious cream. Even in the US, there is a tradition of “King Cakes” – those cakes, however, are served from January 6th on until Mardi Gras and not only on Epiphany. New Orleans is the city of King Cakes in the US. Also the city with the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations ;)
The French version of the king cake, unlike other cake variants, does not require a yeasted dough. The “Galette des Rois” here is made with a simple puff pastry dough and filled with a sweet almond paste (similar to frangipane cream). If you don’t have the ambition to prepare the puff pastry dough at home, this is basically the easiest version of Epiphany cakes ;) The filling is stirred together in no time, the puff pastry is just as quick and easy cut into shape. Usually, the cake is round, but can also be shaped into an oval (like mine here).

The decoration is honestly the trickiest part of the “Galette des Rois”. You have to be a little more careful here, so you don’t accidentally scratch/cut the dough too deeply. With a steady hand, though, it should be easy. If fine lines for the leaves and flowers are too complicated for you, you can also cut a super simple diamond pattern into the surface. It won’t look any less pretty in the end!
One more thing – an important element of a “Galette des Rois” is “la fève”. A small porcelain figurine is hidden in the cake and determines the king or queen of the day. Not everyone has such a small figurine at hand, so an almond or bean does the job as well – no problem! The king or queen may choose a partner for the day, both get a little crown and every time the king or queen drinks, the “subjects” shouts “Le roi boit” (the king is drinking). A cute and funny tradition, I think ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
2 rolls of refrigerated puff pastry (approx. 270g each roll)
3.5 oz. (100g) butter, at room temperature
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar
2 medium eggs
5.3 oz. (150g) ground almonds (blanched)
1 tbsp. vanilla liqueur (or rum)
a few drops of bitter almond oil (almond extract)
1 whole almond
1 egg medium yolk
some water
2 Rollen Blätterteig (je ca. 270g) aus dem Kühlregal
100g weiche Butter
100g Zucker
2 Eier (M)
150g Mandeln (blanchiert), gemahlen
1 EL Vanillelikör (oder Rum)
einige Tropfen Bittermandelöl
1 ganze Mandel
1 Eigelb (M)
etwas Wasser


DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and let come (pretty much) to room temperature.
2. For the filling mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Add the ground almonds, vanilla liquor (or rum), and bitter almond oil (almond extract) and mix in. When done, set aside.
3. Unroll the first roll of puff pastry dough and then fold it lengthwise together so the edges are neatly on top of each other. Carefully roll out these two layers together on a piece of baking parchment to create a square with a side length of about 10 inches (25cm). Cut out a circle (10 inches/25cm) – you can do that either with a plate of that size and a sharp knife or you use an adjustable cake ring* and press it into the puff pastry to cut out the circle. Either way, try not to cut into the baking parchment. If you don’t have any of this you can also use a cardboard/paper template – works just as well. Pull the puff pastry circle together with the baking paper onto a baking tray. Do the same with the second puff pastry dough roll, only here the circle should have a slightly larger diameter of about 10.3 inches/26cm.
4. Place the almond filling in the center of the pastry circle on the baking sheet and spread it out. The edges should be free of the filling (about 0.8 inches/2cm) and the mixture should be spread thinner towards the edges. It should look like a little hill of almond filling sitting in the center of the puff pastry circle. Press a single almond into the filling at any point and hide it. Brush the edges with water and then place the second puff pastry circle on top. Run your hand over the dough to prevent air pockets from forming. You want the dough to lay snugly on top of the filling. If your two puff pastry circles had the right size, the edges should match and enclose the filling nicely. If the top dough circle turned out a bit too small, simply pull/push it into the right shape. If the circle is a bit too large, simply cut off overlapping dough. In any case, press the edge together well (but carefully) so that the filling is not getting out anywhere during baking. If you like, you can decorate the galette now. I made small incisions (max. 0.2 inches/5mm) along the edge with a sharp knife and scored the top with a pattern. Here, however, you should be very careful. The puff pastry must not be cut through under any circumstances. A steady hand is an advantage here ;)
5. Mix the egg yolk with a tiny bit of water and then carefully brush the galette with it. Try to follow the pattern of the decoration with the brush, so the fine lines are not damaged. Also, avoid puddles of yolk in depressions and dents – these areas will get darker than the rest when baked. Bake the galette in the center of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The cake should have puffed up nicely and the surface should have a nice golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool down completely. Whoever finds the almond in his piece is the king or queen of the day and gets a little crown ;)
1. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Den Blätterteig aus dem Kühlschrank holen und einigermaßen auf Zimmertemperatur kommen lassen.
2. Für die Füllung die weiche Butter mit dem Zucker in einer Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die Eier einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Die gemahlenen Mandeln, Likör (oder Rum) und Bittermandelöl dazugeben und gut verrühren. Zur Seite stellen.
3. Die erste Blätterteigrolle ausrollen und dann einmal der Länge nach zusammenfalten – versucht hier wirklich genau zu sein und die Ränder korrekt und sauber aufeinander liegen zu haben. Diese beiden Schichten zusammen vorsichtig auf einem Stück Backpapier zu einem Quadrat mit etwa 25cm Seitenlänge ausrollen. Aus diesem Quadrat dann einen Kreis mit einem Durchmesser von 25cm ausschneiden. Man kann dazu einfach einen passend großen Teller auflegen und mit einem scharfen Messer den Kreis ausschneiden (Backpapier dabei nicht einschneiden), oder man verwendet einen verstellbaren Tortenring* und drückt diesen in der passenden Größe in den Blätterteig und sticht so den Kreis aus. Eine Vorlage aus Pappe/Papier funktioniert hier natürlich ebenso! Den Blätterteigkreis samt Backpapier auf ein Backblech ziehen. Mit der zweiten Blätterteigrolle ebenso verfahren, nur hier sollte der Teigkreis einen etwas größeren Durchmesser von etwa 26cm haben.
4. Die Mandelfüllung in die Mitte des Teigkreises auf dem Blech geben und verstreichen. Der Rand sollte etwa 2cm breit frei bleiben und die Masse zu den Rändern hin etwas dünner verstrichen werden – in der Mitte sollte also sowas wie ein kleiner Hügel Mandelfüllung entstanden sein. Eine einzelne Mandel an einer beliebigen Stelle in die Füllung drücken und verstecken. Den freien Rand mit Wasser bestreichen und dann mittig den größeren Teigkreis auflegen. Mit der Hand über den Teig streichen, damit sich keine Luftkammern bilden – die Füllung sollte mehr oder weniger luftdicht eingepackt werden. Wenn alles die richtige Größe hatte, sollten die beiden Teigkreise passgenau miteinander abschließen. Sollte der obere Teigkreis etwas zu klein geraten sein, einfach in die richtige Form ziehen/drücken – ist der Kreis etwas zu groß, überlappenden Teig einfach abschneiden. Den Rand auf jeden Fall gut (aber vorsichtig) zusammendrücken, damit die Füllung hier nicht auslaufen kann. Wer mag, kann die Galette jetzt noch dekorieren. Ich habe am Rand entlang mit einem scharfen Messer rundum kleine Einschnitte (max. 5mm) gemacht und die Oberseite mit einem Muster eingeritzt. Hier sollte man allerdings vorsichtig sein – der Blätterteig darf keinesfalls durchgeschnitten werden. Eine ruhige Hand ist hier von Vorteil ;)
5. Das Eigelb mit ein wenig Wasser verrühren und die Galette dann vorsichtig damit bestreichen. Versucht dem Muster der Dekoration mit dem Pinsel zu folgen, damit die feinen Linien nicht beschädigt werden. Vermeidet auch, dass sich in Vertiefungen und Dellen das Eigelb sammelt – diese Stellen werden beim Backen dann dunkler als der Rest. Die Galette in der Mitte des vorgeheizten Ofens für etwa 30 Minuten backen. Die Galette sollte schön hochgegangen sein und die Oberfläche eine schöne goldene Farbe bekommen haben. Aus dem Ofen holen und komplett abkühlen lassen. Wer die Mandel in seinem Stück findet, ist der König bzw. die Königin des Tages und bekommt ein Krönchen ;)


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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Galette des Rois (Three Kings Cake)
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 01:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: France
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Three Kings Cakes have a long tradition in Europe and other countries. One of the most popular cakes is probably the “Galette des Rois” from France. So delicious!
Ingredients
2 rolls of refrigerated puff pastry (approx. 270g each roll)
3.5 oz. (100g) butter, at room temperature
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar
2 medium eggs
5.3 oz. (150g) ground almonds (blanched)
1 tbsp. vanilla liqueur (or rum)
a few drops of bitter almond oil (almond extract)
1 whole almond
1 egg medium yolk
some water
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and let come (pretty much) to room temperature.
2. For the filling mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Add the ground almonds, vanilla liquor (or rum), and bitter almond oil (almond extract) and mix in. When done, set aside.
3. Unroll the first roll of puff pastry dough and then fold it lengthwise together so the edges are neatly on top of each other. Carefully roll out these two layers together on a piece of baking parchment to create a square with a side length of about 10 inches (25cm). Cut out a circle (10 inches/25cm) – you can do that either with a plate of that size and a sharp knife or you use an adjustable cake ring* and press it into the puff pastry to cut out the circle. Either way, try not to cut into the baking parchment. If you don’t have any of this you can also use a cardboard/paper template – works just as well. Pull the puff pastry circle together with the baking paper onto a baking tray. Do the same with the second puff pastry dough roll, only here the circle should have a slightly larger diameter of about 10.3 inches/26cm.
4. Place the almond filling in the center of the pastry circle on the baking sheet and spread it out. The edges should be free of the filling (about 0.8 inches/2cm) and the mixture should be spread thinner towards the edges. It should look like a little hill of almond filling sitting in the center of the puff pastry circle. Press a single almond into the filling at any point and hide it. Brush the edges with water and then place the second puff pastry circle on top. Run your hand over the dough to prevent air pockets from forming. You want the dough to lay snugly on top of the filling. If your two puff pastry circles had the right size, the edges should match and enclose the filling nicely. If the top dough circle turned out a bit too small, simply pull/push it into the right shape. If the circle is a bit too large, simply cut off overlapping dough. In any case, press the edge together well (but carefully) so that the filling is not getting out anywhere during baking. If you like, you can decorate the galette now. I made small incisions (max. 0.2 inches/5mm) along the edge with a sharp knife and scored the top with a pattern. Here, however, you should be very careful. The puff pastry must not be cut through under any circumstances. A steady hand is an advantage here ;)
5. Mix the egg yolk with a tiny bit of water and then carefully brush the galette with it. Try to follow the pattern of the decoration with the brush, so the fine lines are not damaged. Also, avoid puddles of yolk in depressions and dents – these areas will get darker than the rest when baked. Bake the galette in the center of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The cake should have puffed up nicely and the surface should have a nice golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool down completely. Whoever finds the almond in his piece is the king or queen of the day and gets a little crown ;)
Notes
Enjoy baking!
Keywords: Galette des Rois, King Cake, frangipane, almond, puff pastry, celebration
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