Classic French Galette Des Rois

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/11/21
Classic French galette des rois
Jupiterimages
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
376 Calories
26g Fat
30g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 376
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 162mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 35mg 3%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 103mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

For an extra special treat to round off your Christmas festivities, bake this Galette des Rois recipe. Whereas Christmas Eve is all about oysters and foie gras and rich cooking, January 6th is all about this lovely cake which is also known as a king cake or Epiphany Cake. Walk past any Patisserie shop or Boulangerie in France post-Christmas and these cakes will be on sale. 

The cake is made of homemade almond cream filling sandwiched between two delicate, buttery layers of puff pastry and is remarkably easy to make. 

The custom of King Cake in France is to nestle a fava bean, or la fève , inside the rich filling and crown the finder as the "king" or "queen" of the evening. Make sure to warn your fellow diners if you take up the tradition of la fève, you do not want them biting down hard on the bean or worse still unsuspectingly, to swallow it. Children love to play this custom, but again be careful. 

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Almond Cream Filling:

  • 1/2 cup almond meal

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 large free-range egg

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the Cake:

Steps to Make It

To Make Cinnamon Almond Cream Filling

  1. Using a food processor, combine the first seven ingredients until a smooth, creamy paste is formed.

For the Galette Des Rois

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

  2. Roll out the sheets of puff pastry and cut out two 11-inch circles.

  3. Place one of the circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spoon the almond cream filling—also known as frangipane—on the puff pastry. Spread it to within 1 1/2 inches of the edge of the circle.

  4. If desired, hide the bean in the almond cream filling.

  5. Place the second pastry circle on top of the almond filling, crimping or pressing the edges of the pastry to seal the cake. Using a sharp knife, score a decorative pattern in the top layer of the pastry, without cutting through to the almond filling.

  6. Brush the galette des rois with the beaten egg.

  7. Bake it for 15 minutes.

  8. Dust the cake with the powdered sugar and bake it for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until it turns golden brown.

  9. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheet. If desired, top the cake before serving with a round of gold paper to be used as the "crown" for the diner who finds la fève, or the bean.

  10. Cut the galette des rois into even slices, and crown the one who finds the fava bean as the "king" or "queen" with the gold paper round atop the cake.

  11. Serve the rich pieces of cake with cafe creme or cafe au lait to help cut the sweetness of the dessert.

Tip

  • Make sure to warn your fellow diners to eat carefully if you are taking part in la fève tradition.

Recipe Tags: