Enjoy the cake now or keep it frozen until the real Ephiphany--January 6.
Mexican King's Cake (La Rosca de Reyes)
Ingredients
Glaze
Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Heat milk, sugar, salt, and butter to warm (105-115 degrees).
4. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast mixture, milk mixture, and egg.
5. Mix thoroughly.
6. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
7. Knead on lightly floured surface about 10 minutes.
8. Place in greased bowl, turning to coat top.
9. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double - about 1 hour.
10. Lightly knead in raisins, candied fruit, and nuts.
11. Place in greased bowl, turning to coat top.
12. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double - about 45 minutes. (This is for the second time.)
13. Punch down dough and insert the baby figurine.
14. Shape a round loaf; make a 4-inch hole in center and push dough into a ring ("rosca") about 8 inches across.
15. Place on greased baking sheet.
16. Butter the outside of a 3 or 4-inch custard dish and set it in the hole.)
17. Let bread rise in warm place for 30 minutes.
18. Make either the glaze and brush on loaf
19. Press whole candied fruits and whole nuts on top
20. Sprinkle top with sugar.
Instead of the glaze, try this alternative:
Icing
1. Mix all the icing ingredients together until fluffy and well blended.
2. Frost cooled loaves.
3. Decorate with different colored sugars or candied fruit.
Ingredients
Decoration
Preparation
1. Place the flour and salt into a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the dissolved yeast.
3. Gradually mix in the flour.
4. When the mixture is thick, sprinkle all over with flour and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.
5. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugar.
6. Mix the zests, brandy, orange flower water and the two eggs into the dough.
7. Knead until it becomes smooth.
8. Gradually mix in the butter, kneading constantly, until the dough becomes even smoother and more elastic.
9. Cover with greased paper and let rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes, until the dough has doubled in volume.
10. Place the dough on a floured surface.
11. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Add in the silver coin, figurine, bean, or almond.
13. With your hands, roll the dough into a long sausage-shape, approximately 65 cm (2 feet) long and 13 cm (5") thick.
14. Place on a baking sheet, forming the dough into a circle.
15. Join the two ends by pinching the dough together.
16. Cover with greased paper and let rest another 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in volume.
17. Brush the crown with the beaten egg white.
18. Decorate with the almonds and slices of candied fruit, pressing them down so that they stick to the dough.
19. Place into a 180° C (350° F) oven.
20. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bread is cooked and golden brown.
21. Place on a rack and let cool.
Ingredients
Preparation
1. Divide the puff pastry in half.
2. Roll out to form two discs.
3. Place the first disc on a baking sheet.
4. Spread a layer of almond paste on top.
5. Place the bean inside.
6. Cover with the second circle of pastry.
7. Using a knife, create a decorative pattern on the top of the pastry.
8. Brush with the beaten egg yolk.
9. Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.
Ingredients
Frosting
Directions
Put 3/4 of all flour into a bowl, make a hole in the middle, put the yeast into it and mix it with a pinch of sugar and some of the lukewarm milk. Dust the mixture with flour, cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Add the melted butter, salt, lemon, cardamom, egg, egg white, remaining milk and flour to the flour and yeast mixture. Knead dough till smooth.
When the dough begins to form a ball, stir in raisins and mixed, dried fruit. Form dough into a log. Cut off 1/4 of the log, divide the 1/4 into 4 equal parts and form balls from each. Divide the remaining log into 4 parts and form balls from each.
Grease well a springform pan with a central tube. Place dough into the pan, alternating large and small dough balls. Cover the pan and let rise in a warm place. Brush the dough with the beaten yolk and place in pre-heated oven (350 degrees F) for approximately 30 minutes. Cool cake thoroughly before removing from pan.
Mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice to an icing consistency (not too liquid). Ice the cake and decorate with the candied cherries. In Germany, a small gold crown made of foil is placed in the middle of the cake.
