As with most of our Louisiana customs, King cake is deep rooted in France. The French have been serving galette de rois since the 14th-century. Traditionally, it is served on January 6th - the 12th day of Christmas - to celebrate the Epiphany, a religious feast day commemorating the arrival of the Three Kings to the manger where Jesus was born. Today, it’s eaten starting in late December throughout the month of January and is simply a festive way to celebrate Mardi Gras with family and friends.

You’ll find two basic styles of king cake : one, french king cake; galette des Rois made of pâte feuilletée, puff pastry and filled with a creamy almond paste called frangipane. The other, more traditional to us in SWLA is a brioche-style enjoyed with the traditional filling of cinnamon and sweetened cream cheese or customized filling of lemon, cherry, pecan praline, or strawberries & cream; whatever you like!

The French King Cake comes a golden paper crown and feve. The person who discovers the feve in their serving of cake is declared le roi (the king) or la reine (the queen) and gets to wear the golden paper couronne (crown).

The Traditional King Cake comes with mardi gras bead and a plastic baby. The person who gets the baby in their slice of cake gets the beads and is required to buy the next king cake.

Both types of King are delicious and surprisingly easy to make. For the French King Cake, use pre-made puff pastry, it’s easier, can be made the night before baking and takes only a hour to prepare. For the Traditional King Cake, use an enriched dough recipe, it’s easy too! Best of all dough can be made the night before or an hour before filling, rolling and baking.

Here are the recipes. Happy Mardi Gras and Laissez les bons temps rouler- Let the good times roll!

French King Cake

Almond Filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

¾ cup almond flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon spiced rum

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 9 1/2-inch-diameter circles puff-pastry dough (from a 14- to 17-ounce package, cold)

A whole piece of almond, candied fruit or plastic baby, porcelain figurine

Glaze

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon milk

1. To make almond filling, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Beat in the almond flour and salt. Mix in 1 whole egg and then the white from the second egg (keep the yolk for glaze), along with rum (if using) and vanilla bean paste. Cover and chill.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of puff pastry into a circle about 9 1/2 inches round. Using a plate or pot lid or cut a circle of parchment as template, trim the dough into a neat circle. Place the circle of dough on the parchment lined baking sheet.

3. Cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat step 2 with the other piece of dough and lay it on top of the first. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for thirty minutes.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Slide the second circle of dough and plastic from pan so there is only one circle of dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Return second circle of dough back to refrigerator and remove almond filling. Spread almond filling over the center of the dough, leaving 1-inch exposed border. Place the feve in the filling if you are using - but it must be food safe and won’t melt.

5. Brush cool water around the exposed border of the dough then place the other circle of dough over the filling and press around the border with your fingertips to seal the edges very well. At this point, you can chill the dough before scoring the top or if you aren’t ready to bake it, chill overnight.

6. To bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Flute the sides of the dough by pushing the back of a butter knife into the dough about 1/2 inch deep. Use a paring knife to create a design on top. Stir together the egg yolk and milk and brush a thin layer evenly over the top, avoiding dripping on the sides or the edges of the pastry won’t rise. Using the paring knife, poke 5 small holes (slits) in the top to allow the steam to escape.

7. Turn heat down to 400, and bake for 30/40 minutes and galette has puffed and golden in color. During baking time (check at 20 minutes); if galette puffs up too much, use a paring knife to poke a couple more steam vents or if it’s browning too much or too fast tent loosely with foil.

8. Remove from the oven and slide the galette off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. The galette will deflate as it cools, which is normal. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   
   
   

Traditional King Cake

Dough- for 2 cakes

2/3 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast and milk in a mixing bowl and mix on low speed till it comes together. As dough comes together, add 1 egg at a time then add butter gradually. Continue to mix at medium speed till smooth and elastic. Do not overmix.

2. Place in a clean bowl and wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight or keep at room temperature and allow to double in size. If refrigerated overnight, allow to come to room temperature. When doubled, “punch down” to deflate, and wrap again to allow to rise again at room temperature.

At this point, make the cream cheese filling.

Cream Cheese Filling – for 2 cakes

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 Egg yolk

1/8 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Zest of 1 Lemon

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix till smooth. Will be divided on 2 pieces of dough

Assembly - for each cake

1. Roll dough to an even rectangle about ¼” thick. Cut into 2 lengthwise and pipe or spoon cream cheese filling on the upper 1/3 of each piece. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon) evenly. Roll each piece into a log and twist them together to form a braid. Shape into a ring sealing the ends well.

2. Proof to double in size and bake in preheated oven @360*F for approx. 20-25 minutes or till golden brown on the bottom surface. If top is golden brown and bottom is still not baked, cover the top with foil and turn oven down to 325*F. Allow to cool before glazing.

Glaze

2 cups Powdered sugar

1/2 cup Milk (you can use buttermilk for tangy flavor)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients till smooth and coat top of cooled cake. Allow glaze to dry before serving.