Grandma's Design

THREE KINGS CAKE

GRANDMA

Brigitte

COUNTRY

Dutch Belgium

ORIGIN

Flanders

INGREDIENTS

175 gr butter
175 gr sugar
100 gr ground almonds
3 eggs
1 package vanilla sugar
75 gr coconut powder
1 tblsp flour
Almond extract
A little jam
Almond flakes
1 coffee bean or almond nut
a sheet of puff pastry

HISTORY

Every year on the 6th of January the Christian world celebrates Epiphany. Epiphany refers to the visit to Jesus by the three kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. One of the traditions on that day is baking and eating Three Kings Cakes. This cake is known in many countries, although the recipe is not always the same. Spain has its roscon de reyes, Portugal its bolo rei. In France it is called la galette des rois and in Greece they call it vassilopita. They even know it in the south of the United States, where it is just called a king cake. The Belgian Three Kings Cake is a tart made of puff pastry and almond pastry. Almond pastry is better known as “Frangipane”. Although all these countries have their own recipe, there is one big similarity: the baker hides something inside the cake. This object can be a coin, a figure, an almond nut or a coffee bean. When the cake is ready, each child is given a piece of it. The child who finds the object is the king or queen. She or he is allowed to decide what will happen all day. What’s more, she or he also has to wear a crown all day.

More Minus

HOW TO

Mix the soft butter with the sugar and Vanilla sugar. Mix well until white. Add the egg yolks. Mix well. Ground the coconut powder.Mix with the ground almonds.Add the almond extract and the almond-coconut mixture to the batter.Beat the egg whites.Mix with the batter.Roll out the puff pastry and place in a cake mould.Don’t forget to rub it with butter.Pinch the dough with a fork.Pour the batter in the mould.Hide the bean or nut.Place in a preheated oven at 200 °C.Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.Check regularly that it does not burn.Take out of the oven.Brush some jam onto the cakeRoast the almond flakes and sprinkle them on top.