As we leave another holiday season behind, with joy still in our hearts, it can feel bittersweet to return to our old routines. While the new year might offer some motivation, there is an undeniable sadness that accompanies putting away all the holiday decorations. However, there is one holiday tradition that helps me get through this sad return: ‘Tis the season of my all-time favorite cake — galette des rois, also known as the French king cake. 

Galette de rois is a French cake traditionally served in January. It has a bit of a contradictory origin, with some believing it to be a celebration of epiphany and the three kings while others think it has more ancient roots. Either way, it spreads joy to those who share it with their loved ones, myself included. Even though I’m not French, my grandmother baking the galette for family dinners is one of my favorite family traditions.   

Some of my favorite childhood memories come from the hiding of the fève, or the trinket, inside the cake. These trinkets are also referred to as a lucky charm; whoever finds the fève in their slice becomes the king or the queen for the night. For me, waiting to see who would find the fève in their bite was the most exciting part of eating the galette. Even when I didn’t have a large appetite, I would keep asking for a new slice until I found the fève, so I could be the queen for the night. 

To quote Audrey Hepburn as the titular character of “Sabrina,” “Paris is always a good idea.”  When boulangeries and pâtisseries in Paris start baking galette des rois, Paris becomes the best idea. I love experiencing the joy of eating this dessert in the place I first had it with my favorite people and sharing special moments with them. 

However, it is not easy to plan a trip to Paris every year. Despite this, I found a way to bring that same Parisian joy to my home in San Diego by baking my very own galette des rois for my friends here who have become family over the years. If you’re like me and are looking for something that will keep you full of post-holiday cheer, this is the perfect recipe for you. 

Galette des rois recipe

Ingredients

For the frangipane:

2/3 cup softened butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cake:

2 rolls of puff pastry

1 egg yolk

Water for brushing

Fève (optional)

For the syrup:

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup water

Directions 

For the frangipane: 

Mix up softened butter and sugar in a bowl. 

Gently add almond flour and ground almonds into your mixture and gently mix until it reaches a homogenous consistency.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract while continuing to whisk your mixture. 

Transfer your mixture into a piping bag and set it aside.

For the cake:

Cut two 9-inch circles out of the puff pastry — you can use a cake pan while doing this. 

Brush the edges of the puff pastry with water. 

Fill the puff pastry with your frangipane mixture. Make sure to start filling from the middle and leave the edges empty (preferably, 0.6 inches). 

(Optional) Place the fève inside. 

Cover the top of your cake with the second puff pastry, and seal the edges by shaping with a knife. 

Brush the covered cake with beaten egg yolk.

Refrigerate the cake for one hour. 

For the syrup: 

Add sugar and water to a pan. 

Heat on medium-low and stir until sugar dissolves.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Take your cake out of the fridge, and decorate the top with the back of a knife. For example, you can give it floral or geometric shapes.

Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Let the cake cool before brushing the top with the syrup while it’s still warm.

A note: When you buy a galette des rois from a boulangerie or pâtisserie, it usually comes with a cardboard crown on top. If you decide to bake galette des rois at home, you can do the same! Bon appétit!