How to Make a Traditional Epiphany Cake
Christmas & Holiday · Dessert · Provencal Recipes · TasteThis recipe is shared by our contributor Phoebe Thomas. She makes this French January treat, a delicious, buttery, frangipane pastry, called la galette des rois, which translates to the King’s Cake at home with her kids. The galette des rois with a frangipane filling is not a typical Provencal recipe, but it is found in local bakeries at this time of the year (or you can make your own by following Phoebe’s recipe). In Provence, the traditional King’s Cake is a brioche with traditional candied fruits.
Follow along and enjoy!
Galette des Rois (Epiphany cake)
Here is what Phoebe has to say: Making your own Galette des Rois is very simple, assuming you can get hold of ready-made puff pastry. In France, we’re spoilt with excellent quality puff pastry that comes ready-rolled with its own baking paper, available in every supermarket. And even better than that, during the festive period, roughly December and January, kits of puff pastry with a crown and figurine are sold too!
Ingredients
- 460 g puff pastry 2 rolls of ready-made pastry
- 100 g ground almonds
- 75 g Sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk beaten
- 50 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- A few drops almond essence
- 1 Fève small ceramic figurine or a dried broad bean
- 1 Paper Crown
Instructions
- Roll out the bottom pastry into thin rounds of approximately 30-35cms diametre onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Prick it with a fork several times.
- Mix all other ingredients except the extra egg yolk in a mixing bowl, beat till thoroughly mixed and creamy. The paste should be quite thick.
- Spread the paste over the pastry, leaving an edge of a couple of centimetres.
- Paint some beaten egg yolk around the edges as “glue” to help stick the top layer of pastry.
- Place the fève (figurine) somewhere not too near the centre.
- Place the 2nd round of pastry over the top and pinch around the edges to stick it firmly closed.
- Prick a few holes and cut a pattern on the top with a knife (if you wish!)
- Paint with the beaten egg yolk to make the pastry beautifully golden.
- Bake at 200°C (400°F) (fan assisted oven) for approx 25 mins (or until golden, keep an eye on it, all ovens are different).
- Can be served warm or cold.
Notes
Serve to as many as possible, but make checking carefully not to break a tooth or choke on the fève.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
More Holiday Recipes from Provence:
Christmas Pavlova
Meringue is easy to make even for a "non-baker." Once the base is done the fruit and cream topping is straightforward. Be creative...It's Christmas.
Check out this recipe
Mandarin and Cardamon Infused Almond Cake
A delicious and colourful cake full of the flavours of Christmas markets, perfect with tea to brighten up a cold day, or as a light and joyful desert after a nice meal.
Check out this recipe
Chestnut Soup for the Holidays
This dish is easy to make chestnut soup perfect for holiday celebrating. Whether you're wanting a toasty lunch in front of the fire or a great accompaniment to a holiday meal, this soup is sure to give you what you need.
Check out this recipe
3 Quick Appetizers for Holiday Entertaining
Amuse bouche roughly translates into tempt your taste buds. These three appetizers are easy to make and can be prepared in advance of your guests' arrival. Enjoy Smoked Salmon Rolls with Horseradish and Granny Smith Apple, Crab and Avocado Spoons and Chicken Satays with your favourite cocktail.
Check out this recipe
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Must Watch Video Tour in Perfectly ProvenceRelated Provence Articles
Antibes: A Timeless Treasure on the Côte d’Azur
June 5, 2025
Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea’s azure waters and Provence’s rolling hills lies Antibes, a gem of the French Riviera that enchants visitors with its irresistible blend of history, art, and culinary traditions. A Journey Through the Centuries As you wander through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the old town, you ...
My Chicken Ispahan Recipe – Inspired by Pierre Hermé’s French Pastry
May 26, 2025
It may seem strange, but I am not a café au lait fan. However, a hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) in Paris with a beautiful pastry called an Ispahan – now that is a magical French experience. Pierre Hermé created the dessert for Ladurée, the finest purveyor of macarons in Paris ...
Maussane-les-Alpilles: A Friendly Hotel-Restaurant with Excellent Food
May 23, 2025
“We love our clients and treat them like honoured guests.” These are the words of Marielle Fabregoul of l’Oustaloun, a charming hotel-restaurant in Maussane-les-Alpilles. She and her husband Thierry share a passion for customer service, which shows. A Local Institution L’Oustaloun has long been an institution in Maussane. It began ...
Authentic French Cream Potato Soup For Your Next Dinner Party
May 19, 2025
Potage Parmentier is an easy French cream potato soup that makes a delicious first course. The ingredients are only a few: potatoes, leeks, salt, water, and a little cream. Considering the ingredients, this is most likely a peasant soup, but these days, it is served in some very nice restaurants ...
2 Comments
la galette des rois a la frangipane n’est [as du tout une recette provençale.
En Provence nous mangeons le gâteau des rois qui est une brioche avec des fruits confits traditionels.
Bonjour, vous avez raison, nous allons modifier le texte pour refléter cela plus précisément.