Tired of the king cake? 5 recipes from our neighbors

Like every year, the time has come to draw kings and eat pancakes… If you are tired of it, here are 5 alternative recipes from our European neighbors.

For those who would be tempted to be unfaithful to king cakethis very French specialty, here are some ideas from elsewhere in Europe, where it is not the frangipane pancake and puff pastry that reign.

Note also that in the south of France, we opt for recipes that are already very different. Discover our recipe for brioche king cake. Also here:

Allemagne: le Epiphany cake

Great Britain: the ‘Twelfth Night Cake’

Spain: the ‘Roscon de Reyes’

Italy: the ‘Befaninis’

Portugal: the ‘Bolo Rei’

The German king cake: the Epiphany cakemuch easier to eat than to pronounce

For Epiphany, our German and Swiss neighbors eat a king cakemost often a ring of golden paste filled with orange and spices, representing gold, frankincense and myrrh. It can take the form of seven buns in a circle, forming a crown.

Recipe from Epiphany cake

Type : dessert

Difficulty: medium

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Rest time: several hours

Cooking time: 45 minutes

For a pancake approximately 20 cm in diameter

Recipe Ingredients

• 750 g of flour
• 30 g of fresh yeast
• 85 g de sucre
• 25 cl of lukewarm milk
• 125 g melted butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 chopped lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 200 g sultanas soaked in rum
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
• without forgetting a bean!

For the frosting (optional):

• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup candied red cherries, cut in half (optional)

This cake is generally sprinkled with crushed almonds and pearl sugar.

German King Cake Recipe Instructions: Epiphany cake

Put the flour in a bowl, make a hole in the middle, add the yeast and mix with two tablespoons of sugar and a little lukewarm water. Sprinkle the flour mixture, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Then add to this mixture of flour and yeast, the salt, the rest of the sugar, the lemon, the milk and the melted butter, as well as possibly the cardamom. Beat an egg and add it to the mixture. Knead the dough until smooth.

When the dough begins to form a ball, add the grapesother dried fruits and beans. Then divide the dough and form 6 or 8 fist-sized balls and 1 a little larger to put in the center.

Grease a mold and place the dough in it, arranging large and small balls of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume. Leave at room temperature for another 1 hour.

Then brush the dough with beaten yolk and place in the oven preheated to 225°C for around 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before unmolding.

To make the icing

Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice for a glaze that is not too runny. Frost the cake and decorate with candied cherries.

In Germany, the Epiphany cake is sometimes made from a rich, typical Christmas bread dough with cardamom and sugar. A small gold leaf crown is traditionally placed in the center of the cake.

Read next page: the Twelfth Night Cake English