King Cake for Epiphany
A king cake is traditionally served to guests at Epiphany. It contains a single uncooked bean, and whoever finds the bean is 'king for a day!' Make sure your guests know about the bean!
Ingredients
Serves: 16
- 1/4 cup marzipan
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/4 teaspoon almond essence
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 500g frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 dry kidney bean
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar for dusting
Directions
Preparation:20min ›
Cook:30min ›
Ready in:50min
- Place the marzipan into a food processor or blender with about half of the sugar and process until well blended. Add the butter and remaining sugar and process until smooth, then blend in 1 egg, vanilla essence, almond essence, flour and salt. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Butter a baking tray or line with baking paper and set aside.
- Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into a 30cm square. Keep the pastry cool, do not knead or stretch. Use a large pie plate, cake pan or frying pan to trace an circle onto the dough using the tip of a small knife. Place the circle of pastry onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry. Refrigerate both sheets.
- Mound the marzipan filling onto the centre of on sheet of the pastry that is on the baking tray. Leave about a 4cm margin at the edges. Press the bean down somewhere into the filling. Place the second sheet of pastry on top and press down the edges to seal.
- Beat the remaining egg with a fork and lightly brush onto the top of the cake. Use a knife to make a criss cross pattern in the egg wash and then prick several small slits in the top to vent steam while baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not open the oven until the time is up, as the pastry will not fully puff. Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Lay a paper crown gently on top of the cake. This will be used to crown the person who finds the bean. Serve warm or cold.
Similar Recipes
Recently Viewed
Reviews and Ratings
Global Ratings:
(47)
Reviews in English (41)
This is a really simple and delicious way to make this cake. If you don't want to spend the $8 dollars to buy a tube of almond paste, you can make your own before hand. To make enough paste for this galette, I mixed together in the food processor: *1/2 cup unsalted slivered baking almonds (until they are finely chopped or close to powder), then add *1/4 powdered sugar *1/4 white sugar *1/4 almond extract *1/8-1/4 cup water (to make consistency of paste). Refrigerate before putting onto cake bottom. - 26 Jan 2008 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
This recipe has a very authentic taste and is SO easy! I used the Pepperridge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, and the first time that I made this galette, the bottom layer was very doughy, so the next time, I pre-cooked the bottom layer 10-12 minutes at 425 on my stoneware, let it cool, then resumed the rest as described in the original directions... it turned out perfect! - 23 Mar 2008 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
I think that 1/4 cup of almond paste is way too little. I used an entire roll of almond paste -- twice the amount called for in the recipe -- and that seemed to me to be the correct amount. I also used a bit more sugar and a T of water to make up for the difference in the extra almond paste. Other than the wrong amount of almond paste, it's a good recipe. I would think, though, that it would maybe be better to put on a second egg wash with a good amount of regular sugar rather than the powdered sugar. This way, I think that the gallette would have a shellaced quality and you'd be able to see the criss-cross pattern on its top much better. Easy and impressive cake,though, in spite of my criticism, I'm going to make this again. - 27 Jan 2008 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)