Baking King Cake
By Anna
@LadyDuck (470823)
Switzerland
January 4, 2016 9:56am CST
After tomorrow is the Epiphany, or "Three King's Day".
Living in France many years, I got the habit to bake the "galette des rois" (king cake) to celebrate this day.
In France, there are two kind of cakes, the frangipane-filled puff pastry and the brioche crown, this last is the same served here in Switzerland.
It is part of the tradition to put a small figurine in the cake, that in the past it was a bean.
The person who finds this figurine inside their slice of cake is "king for a day".
I am posting a photo of the two different kind of cakes.
My favorite is the frangipane and it's the one that is now baking in the oven.
Do you celebrate the Epiphany Day?
50 people like this
52 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
5 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl What would happen to the person who ended up biting his head off?
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
4 Jan 16
It's not very different from the sixpence tradition. Epiphany in Italy and Switzerland is always celebrated on the 6th of January, that is also the 12th day of Christmas. In France, to spare one holiday, they celebrate on the Sunday closest to the 6th.
4 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
5 Jan 16
it is just treated as an ordinary day here - love the cake images
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
4 Jan 16
these sound like fun traditions, reminds me of that odd purple cake baked near mardi gras
4 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
5 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl I knew there was something with a mardi gras cake, just never been so I wasn't sure exactly
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
4 Jan 16
Nope. That tradition did not make it over to this side of the pond. Odd, since most of the other holiday traditions did, especially the German ones. But that is to be expected, since there were so many German settlers early on in our history.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
5 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I think they do something similar in Mexico. I would be worried about someone choking.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
5 Jan 16
@ElizabethWallace I think to remember they do something similar in Mexico. The first time I had this cake in France I almost break a tooth, we do not have this tradition in Italy (we eat another cake, with no bean). In my home baked cake I put nothing.
3 people like this
@carexing25 (1822)
• Philippines
5 Jan 16
here we go to church and go home with simple dinner but i wish i could bake something like that.. i love baking
3 people like this
@Manisingh81 (2)
• India
5 Jan 16
I wish such festivals could could be a part of India too...apart from all those cultural festivals ??
2 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
7 Jan 16
Not everyone here celebrates this.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
5 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl You are Catholic, but the United States do not celebrate all the Catholic holidays.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
4 Jan 16
In Louisiana they have a King Cake but that's for lent (before lent starts I guess). The cake is totally different from yours. It's a round with hole in the middle, and it is corloful (purple, gold, green). It's actually fairly tasteless. I had a few when I was a kid and someone mailed me one a few years ago. There is a baby doll (tiny) inside and whoever gets the doll has to provide the next cake.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
4 Jan 16
I have seen photos of the Louisiana King Cake, I have never tried it. In France they put small ceramic figurine in the cakes, people are very careful when they eat. The first time I ate a slice I did not know about this habit, I almost broke a tooth.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
4 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I could see where that is dangerous. They put a small plastic doll in the cakes.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
5 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl I am only familiar with the LA tradition.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (217933)
• Walnut Creek, California
5 Jan 16
@ivyparkgirl I like the King for a Day idea better!
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
4 Jan 16
We do not celebrate it and this is the first i heard of it Anna.
The cake will be divine I am sure when it comes out of your oven.
Is there something a surprise in it for you two to find? haha Who will be King for the Day?
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
4 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Yes we need our teeth Anna haha Well it is fine you can both be King and Queen for the day anyways..
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
6 Jan 16
No I am afraid I don't. It is not a tradition we have in my family.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50093)
• United States
4 Jan 16
I am familiar with this , but do not celebrate it. I bet the cake is divinel
1 person likes this
@seren3 (387)
• Los Angeles, California
7 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I'm pretty sure many still acknowledge it in the UK. I grerw up in Canada and definitely church-goers still did. There was a communion service in the AM and evening if it fell on a week day - Anglican, not Catholic. I'm sure they had a mass on that day.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82596)
• United States
4 Jan 16
I know of this tradition but we don't celebrate it here with the King cake. Your cakes look delicious and I think I'd prefer the frangipane
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
@whiteream Do you mean a bunt cake? I ate it in the United States, it's not the same.
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
8 Jan 16
@LadyDuck It looks good, it's kind of like what in the US call a bun cake. But, a little diffferent
1 person likes this