A Cake, Fit For A King

A big welcome to my daughter Kate, who is guest blogging today. She is sharing her picture recipe of a French King Cake! She did this as part of a project for her French class.

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The King Cake is a popular cake eaten during the Christmas season in France during the Epiphany. In the United States, it is more popular as part of a southern celebration of Mardi Gras. The galette des Rois traditionally had a little bean hidden in the cake, a custom taken from the roman empire. Whoever found the bean was considered the king of the feast. Since the 1870's the bean has been replaced by a porcelain or plastic trinket. In France, the person who is lucky enough to find the trinket, becomes king for the day and then takes on the task for making the next cake. 

Ingredients

-1 package of dry yeast

-1/2 cup of warm water

-1/2 cup of warm milk

-1/3 cup vegetable shortening

-1/3 sugar

-1 teaspoon salt

-1 egg

-4 to 4/12 cups flour

-toy to hide in the cake

(Filling)

Filling can vary, but I chose a cinnamon sugar filling. 

-1/2 cup white sugar

- 2 tablespoons cinnamon

- 4 tablespoons of butter

(Glaze)

-3 cups of sugar

-1/2 tablespoon of vanilla

-3/4 tablespoons of water 

-Purple, green, and gold sugar to top the cake

Add 1/2 cup water to mixing bowl

Add one packet of dry yeast to warm water.

Blend together.

Ass 1/3 cup of shortening to mixture. 

Add 1/3 cup of sugar to mixture. 

Add a teaspoon of salt to mixture. 

Add one egg to mixture. 

Add two cups flour to the mixture. 

Mix on medium speed for three minutes. It will be very sticky.

Use a cup of flour and spread onto surface

Kneed dough mixture for 6 to 8 minutes working the table flour into the dough.

Grease a bowl with butter.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. 

Filling: Melt 4 tablespoonsof butter

Mix 2 tablespoons cinnamon with 1/2 cup of white sugar

Roll dough into a 12x16 inch rectangle.

Spread butter on to rolled dough.

Sprinkle sugar and butter mixture over rolled dough.

Roll dough into a long strip. Once this is done, pinch ends together to form a ring. 

Make a slash under the dough and tuck in the toy. Be sure that it is fully closed within the dough so it doesn't melt while baking.  Let rise for 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, Mix 3 cups of confectioners sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla and 3/4 tablespoon of water. When cake cools you can ice it as desired. Be sure to add colored sugar while the icing is still wet.