“Galette des rois” - Epiphany cake in Sweden!

Version française disponible ici !

Yes, even far from France, we must perpetuate the tradition! So the article of today is going to be about the “Galette des rois” (Epiphany cake)!

So, the drawbacks of the Epiphany cake according to me, some years ago at least, were price and … taste. Indeed, frangipani and I weren’t good friends. But I wanted to try to make it once. I was curious to know how and from what this cake is made. Hup, a few clicks on Marmiton, 2 puff pastries and some almond powder in my shopping cart and let’s make an Epiphany cake!

And then, well I was totally smitten! The taste was really good, the wallet way less light than if I had bought it at the bakery and moreover, it takes 2 minutes to make it (really!). What more do you want?

Then I could make Swedish people discover the French Epiphany cake during a party at home and it was obviously a success :)

So, there are two ways to fill this cake (in French): with a frangipani or with an almond cream. I usually chose the second option. To make it, I drew my inspiration from one of the recipes available on Marmiton and from the associated comments.

Here are the details:

• 2 puff pastries (2*270g for me and rectangular ones, it’s been a long time since I haven’t seen round ones, so now I’m asking myself how is it sold in France?) 
• 200g almond powder
• 110g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g soft butter
• 2 tbs crème fraiche
• Some drops of bitter almond extract (that I didn’t have unfortunately, sniff)
• 1 yolk to glaze 
• 1 charm!
  

Start by pricking the first puff pastry with a fork, it’s going to be the bottom of the cake (and keep the other one in the fridge).

Into a salad bowl, mix the dry ingredients: sugar and almond powder. Stir the soft butter in until getting a crumbled texture. Finally add the eggs (and the bitter almond extract if you have), mix, add the crème fraiche and mix well everything again.

Spread the almond crème that you got out, on the puff pastry, and put the charm!

Prick the 2nd puff pastry, turn it over and put it on the almond cream. Join the edges. I tried to make beautiful joins but it disappeared during the cooking, probably because it was a puff pastry, snif again!

Mix a yolk with a bit of water and glaze the Epiphany cake a first time. Keep aside for 30

COOKING

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180°C until getting the pastry cooked and browned. Keep an eye on it from time to time. Make sure that the pastry doesn’t swallow. If it does, prick it with a fork to make it deflate. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

We use to say that the Epiphany cake should be eaten slightly warm :p I like it at room temperature or even cold. I let you choosing your version ;)

Well, unfortunately, this big Epiphany cake hasn’t been eaten that very evening, so no king drew this time (we had a beautiful homemade crown though :p, what a shame!). We need to make it again next year ;) 

Rose.