The Impressive French Galette des Rois Is a Delicious Cake to Make (2024)

French Desserts
Desserts
French Food
Bean Recipes

Rebecca Franklin

Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.

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Updated on 02/22/24

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Tested byTracy Wilk

Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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The Impressive French Galette des Rois Is a Delicious Cake to Make (2)

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Total: 45 mins

Servings: 12 servings

Yield: 1 cake

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For an extra-special holiday treat, bake this delicious galette des rois, a traditionalFrench 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.

A galette des rois is made of an irresistibly creamy almond filling sandwiched between two flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry. The ingredients for almond cream all go into a food processor to blend, and then the paste is spread onto store-bought puff pastry, making this impressive cake simple to put together. Once you master this foolproof recipe, you can experiment with different fillings or make your own puff pastry. Serve slices of the galette with tea or cafe au lait to balance the cake's sweetness.

When it comes to the small prize (called a fève) hidden inside the filling, bakeries opt for porcelain or plastic figures, but a home baker can use a dried fava bean instead. The lucky guest who finds the fève becomes the "king" or "queen" of the evening and wears a paper crown. Of course, make sure to warn everyone about the fève—if you don't, some guests may leave the party with broken teeth. If you're making this cake for children, consider leaving out the fève altogether.

What You'll Need to Make This King Cake Recipe

A Zippy Food Processor

A Handy Dandy Pastry Brush

A Nifty Sugar Sifter

“I truly love the elegance of the traditional French Galette des Rois and how it can be a showstopper dessert. This recipe makes preparation easy and it's a perfect way to impress your guests.” —Tracy Wilk

The Impressive French Galette des Rois Is a Delicious Cake to Make (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Almond Cream Filling:

1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
See Also
How to Make Classic Quiche Lorraine
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the Cake:

17 ounces puff pastry, thawed
1 driedfava bean, optional
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

Make the Almond Cream

Gather the ingredients.
Combine almond meal, sugar, egg, softened butter, vanilla extract, and flour in the bowl of a food processor.
Blend to a smooth, creamy paste.Feel free to make this cream a few days in advance, then refrigerate in an airtight container.

Assemble the Cake

Gather the ingredients.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out 2 sheets of puff pastry and cut into 2 (11-inch) discs. Place one disc on the prepared baking sheet. Spread an even layer of almond cream, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
If you wish to include a dried fava bean, you can do so at this point. Simply nestle it in the almond cream. Brush some of the beaten egg over the pastry border.
Place second puff pastry disc on top of filling, and crimp edges with a fork to seal the cake.
Using a sharp knife, score a decorative pattern into the top layer of pastry without cutting through to the almond filling. Brush galette with the remaining beaten egg (this will create a golden crust).

Bake the Cake

Bake cake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dust cake with confectioners' sugar.
Return to oven and bake until the puff pastry becomes a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Tips

The almond paste can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

How to Store

It is best to eat the galette the same day it is made, as the crust tends to get soggy. If there are leftovers, wrap them loosely in a plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days, refrigerated.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
312	Calories
21g	Fat
25g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	312
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	28%
Saturated Fat 4g	22%
Cholesterol 39mg	13%
Sodium 136mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 22mg	2%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 73mg	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.)

Recipe Tags:

galette des rois
dessert
french
christmas

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