Authentic Galette des Rois Recipe – French Kings Cake (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between king cake and galette de rois? ›

For an extra-special holiday treat, bake this delicious galette des rois, a traditional French cake usually served on Epiphany, the day the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus. The name translates to "king cake," and is similar to the Mardi Gras king cake in that it also features a small prize hidden inside the filling.

The galette des rois is a cake traditionally shared at Epiphany, on 6 January. It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem. Composed of a puff pastry cake, with a small charm, the fève, hidden inside, it is usually filled with frangipane, a cream made from sweet almonds, butter, eggs and sugar.

The galette des rois, celebrating Epiphany, the day the Three Kings (les rois) visited the infant Jesus, is baked throughout January in France. Composed of two circles of puff pastry sandwiching a frangipani filling, each comes with a crown and always has a trinket, called a fève, or bean, baked into it.

Some associate it with Mardi Gras, others with a celebration known as Epiphany. King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus.

One other key difference between Rosca de Reyes and Mardi Gras Cake is how they are decorated. The Reyes cake has no green, white, or yellow icing, but actually is decorated with candied fruit to resemble a king's crown. With Mardi Gras King Cake, if you find the baby you have to buy the next cake.

Classic King Cakes

You can choose from flavors such as strawberry cream cheese, pecan praline, lemon, apple, and more, but most will tell you that the traditional king cake from Randazzo's does the trick. Won't be in the city for Mardi Gras? No worries.

Both the New Orleans-style King Cake and the French Galette des Roi are traditional for Epiphany, but the King Cake enjoys an encore on Mardi Gras. In either, the hidden object is called a fève, usually the figurine of a baby representing the Christ child or a bean as a stand-in.

What does it mean if you find the baby in the king cake? The person to find the baby in their slice of King Cake gets to be "king" or "queen" for a day and is also said to have good luck. The person also is expected to carry on the carnival festivities by hosting the next King Cake party.

They may also be known as trinkets or favors. The French word fève translates to 'fava bean', which is what was originally hidden in the cake. Modern fèves can be made out of other materials, such as porcelain or plastic, and can take varied shapes and forms.

The best wines to pair with galette des rois

The best food and wine pairings with a frangipane puff pastry are a sweet white wine or a sparkling wine. Indeed, Champagnes go well with this sweet and gourmet dessert.

What do you hide in galette des rois? ›

The trick here is that hidden somewhere within the galette is the féve - the literal translation being a bean - for some lucky recipient to find. If they find it in their slice, they can claim the golden crown which is always provided along with a galette des rois, as in the photograph above.

Tradition dictates that when serving galette des rois, the entire cake should be divided such that each guest receives a slice, plus an extra, symbolic slice for any unexpected visitor, or poor person, that should pass by.

Hidden in its interior, or under a slice, is a small plastic baby. Whoever finds it must either bring the next cake or throw a party, thus sparking an unending round of food and fun. Whether at the workplace, school or home - king cake is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the Mardi Gras season.

It was frequently baked with a bean hidden in one side and a pea hidden in the other; the man/lord finding the bean became King for the night, while the woman/lady finding the pea became the Queen – also known as the Lord or Lady of Misrule.

The history of the king cake came from European and Roman Catholic roots, which made its way into the New Orleans area in the 1870s. In contrast to the French king cakes, which are a flaky puff pastry, the New Orleans style is similar to the Spanish tradition, which is oval-shaped and topped with icing.

The French version is baked with an almond-filled puff pastry giving a fluffy texture and features a decorative pattern, sometimes topped with a crown. The New Orleans style King cake shares more similarities with the Spanish or Latin version, which is ring-shaped and topped with icing and candied fruit.

Over the centuries, the Galette des Rois has evolved and many variations have emerged. Today, there are different types of galettes, such as the Galette des Rois with apples, nuts, spices, or candied fruit. You can also find the Brioche des Rois, a soft and sweet version of the traditional galette.

Dessert is particularly special! A cake called Roscón de Reyes is shared this day. It is a ring shaped orange blossom flavored brioche-like cake filled with cream or whipped cream and decorated with candied fruit and toasted almonds.