I Make This Easy and Elegant 'King Cake' to Impress My Guests

I love an easy, impressive dessert. It must have few ingredients, require little to no elbow grease, and have a big payoff at the end. The galette des rois delivers on all fronts. Often made for Three Kings’ Day at the beginning of January, there’s really no better time to make this dessert than whenever the heck you want it. Why should January have all the fun? Make it for your partner’s birthday, friends dropping in for dinner, or a fancy spin on the king cake for your upcoming Mardi Gras party. With the wonders of pre-made puff pastry, all the hard work is done. In about 40 minutes, you can have a stunner of a dessert.

What is a galette des rois?

A galette des rois, French for "king cake," is puff pastry filled with a simple frangipane almond paste. There’s an optional féve (trinket or bean) for Three Kings’ Day, but I don’t find surprise choking hazards in my dessert to be much fun, so I'm leaving that out. The only thing that requires some doing is making the almond frangipane filling, which is, blessedly, easy. Simply mix the six room temperature ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon for 60 seconds. Here's the recipe I use, and try not to substitute out the almond extract if you can help it (because it makes all desserts better).

How to make a French king cake

Once the frangipane is mixed, unravel that jewel of the frozen aisle: store bought, all-butter puff pastry. Make sure it’s thawed according to the package’s directions—you won’t get very far if it’s frozen.

1. Trim the puff pastry

You’ll need two sheets of puff pastry cut into equally sized circles. You can use a guide, like a 9-inch cake pan, placed on top and trace it with a knife. Do this with both sheets of pastry. (Technically, you could omit the trimming and make a rectangular cake. No one’s the boss of you.)

2. Layer on the filling

Place one circle of pastry on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the outer inch with an egg wash. Try not to let it dribble down the edge or it will impede the pastry’s puffing action in those spots. (Egg cooks at a lower temperature than the pastry, so the egg will harden before the pastry has had a chance to rise.) Fill the center with an very thin layer of jam (this is optional, but I like it). Then spread a thick layer of the almond frangipane on top (one-third- to a half-inch thick), but keep it within the egg wash perimeter.

3. Seal the top and bake

Lay the second sheet of pastry over top, and press the edges down gently to make contact with the egg wash edge. Egg wash the entire top of the pastry. Again, don't let the egg wash dribble off the edges.

If you want to make a classic sun-burst pattern on top, or any pattern at all, now’s the time. Use the back of a paring knife (not the cutting edge) to indent the lines. Bake in a 425°F oven for 25 minutes. Finish with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar.

The galette des rois is best served day-of, but you can cut any leftovers into individual slices, wrap them well, and freeze them. When you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, simply revive it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

Galette des Rois Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of store bought puff pastry, thawed

• ½ batch of frangipane

• 1 tablespoon of raspberry jam

• Egg wash

• Powdered sugar for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Use an overturned 9-inch cake pan to guide you as you cut a large circle out of each sheet of puff pastry. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay one sheet of puff pastry in the center.

3. Egg wash the outer-inch of the pastry. Spread the jam thinly in the center within the egg wash circle. Spread the frangipane over the jam in a thick layer.

4. Top it with the second circle of puff pastry, pressing the edges so they stick to the egg wash. Brush a thin layer of egg wash over the entire top (not the sides). Make a design in the surface with the back of a knife, like a criss-cross pattern or star-burst.

5. Bake immediately for 25 minutes, or until well-risen and the top has deeply browned. Cool completely on a wire cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

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