In Spanish culture, holidays are never under-celebrated. From traditions to special treats, everything is perfectly planned. For one Spanish holiday, a special cake, Roscón de Reyes, is prepared that everyone loves to enjoy.
Roscón de Reyes, also known as The King’s Cake, is commonly topped with fruit and filled with sweet cream. While the fillings and toppings may vary, this sweet treat is always enjoyed at the start of January every year. The Spanish three kings cake signifies the epiphany, the arrival of the three wise men to baby Jesus.
Without a doubt, this traditional dessert is essential every year. If you’d like to know more about what Roscón de Reyes is, the history behind it, and how to make the three kings’ cake, read on.
What Is Roscón de Reyes?
Every Christmas season, most kids around the world look forward to waking up and unwrapping presents from Santa Claus.
But for most kids from Spain, the start of January brings gifts and a delicious treat. And we are not talking about turrón.
Roscon de Reyes is eaten on Three Kings’ Day, January 6th to celebrate the three wise kings arrival to baby Jesus.
Roscón de Reyes roughly translates to “Crown of the King,” which is understandable considering that the cake resembles a crown.
The Spanish Christmas cake is usually topped with fruit, which resembles jewels on the crown.
The inside of this cake can vary. The most common version includes a sweet creamy filling, but another version swaps out the cream for a simple, spongy inside.
Why? Well, in addition, a 1-inch (2.54-cm) doll is placed inside the cake. This doll is meant to represent baby Jesus.
According to spanish tradition, whoever receives the slice with the small surprise has to make or pay for the cake the following year.
The delicious variations aren’t even the icing on the king’s cake (pun intended). The history behind this treat is even richer than its flavor.
The History of Roscón de Reyes
While Roscón de Reyes is commonly enjoyed during a Christian holiday, this sweet treat began with Paganism.
In ancient Rome, many celebrated a holiday by the name of Saturnalia.
The original version of this cake was simply an oval-shaped cake filled with honey, dates, and figs.
But where did the idea of adding a 1-inch (2.54-cm) doll come from? In the 3rd century, people began adding a dry bean to the cake.
Whoever got the slice with the dry bean was deemed the king of kings and got treated as if they were royalty for the entire day.
However, the history of Roscón de Reyes doesn’t end there.
Like most religions back then, Christianity began to spread around.
Eventually, it hit Rome, and the cake was soon prepared on January 6th, also known as Three Kings Day or el día de los Reyes Magos.
Ever since then, the traditional cake has grown in popularity, and it has now become one of the most popular cakes in Spanish culture.
Now that we know the history behind Roscón de Reyes let’s learn how to make it.
How To Make Roscón de Reyes
Before we begin, be warned: This is a bit difficult and time-consuming.
The Roscon de Reyes recipe below is the quickest version, though, taking approximately 3-4 hours.
Ingredients
For the crown, you will need:
- 8 cups of flour
- 3 tablespoons of active dry yeast
- 1½ cups of warm whole milk
- 1½ cups of sugar
- 1 cup of softened unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks
- The zest of 2 oranges and 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons of dark rum
- 4 tablespoons of orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
For the toppings, you will need:
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons of milk
- Candied fruits
- Pearl sugar
Roscon de Reyes Recipe
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- To begin, dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar and yeast into the warm milk. Cover the mixture and set it aside in a warm place for at least 30 minutes until foam forms on the surface.
- Next, mix the flour with the orange zest and lemon zest into the large bowl. Additionally, you’ll want to add the remaining sugar and dissolved yeast mixture. Then, add the butter, egg yolks, rum, and orange blossom water.
- Knead for 3 minutes. If kneading is getting difficult, you can purchase the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker over on Amazon.com. With 2 kneading paddles, you’ll be able to knead the dough without any pain. It’s also dishwasher safe and easy to clean, so you won’t have to worry about any huge messes.
- After the bread is kneaded, add in the salt and continue to knead until there is no more bread on the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add in little bits of flour. However, keep in mind that the dough should be soft and sticky, so it will end up soft and airy.
- Once the dough is ready, cover it and put it in a warm and dry place to rise. You’ll want to leave it for 3 hours, which will cause the dough to double in volume.
- Once it’s ready, transfer the dough to a flat surface. For about a minute, get rid of any unwanted gas inside the dough.
- Then, divide the dough into 3 separate pieces—form 3 crown shapes with one large hole in the center.
- Place the wreaths on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and put it in a warm and dry place again, allowing it to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C).
- When the dough is done rising, brush it with a mixture of milk and egg yolks (from the toppings section).
- Add candied fruits and pearl sugar. Now would also be the time to add a dry bean or your 1-inch (2.54-cm) doll if you want to.
- Finally, bake the king’s cake for 30 minutes.
If you’d like, you can then cut the sweet bread in half and add whipped cream filling in the middle. But only do this if you haven’t added a doll or dry bean.
Once it’s done, cut a slice, serve with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy!
How to Store Roscon de Reyes
You can store your Roscon de Reyes at room temperature in a plastic wrap or resealable bag for 0ne or two days.
If you’re not going to eat it right away you can freeze it up to a month or so. But for optimal results, cut into individual slices before freezing and put in individual freezer bags.
When ready to eat remove from freezer and heat in microwave for 40 seconds.
Final Roscon de Reyes Thoughts
The history behind many delicious sweet treats in Spanish culture is just as rich as the flavors.
On Three Kings Day, Roscón de Reyes is commonly enjoyed in every Spanish home in honor of the epiphany.
While there are many variations of this cake, such as Mexican Rosca de Reyes, history will always remain the same.
If you’re looking to enjoy this sweet cake, be aware that you might have to either pay or make Roscón de Reyes the following year if you are lucky enough to find the hidden doll.
Nevertheless, you’ll surely enjoy the Spanish Christmas sweet and its history. Good luck and buen provecho!
Roscón de Reyes Recipe
This classic Roscón de Reyes cake is a traditional brioche-like sweet bread Christmas dessert in Spain and Latin America. Traditionally it is served the night before or the morning of Reyes or Epiphany on January 6th.
Ingredients
For the crown
- 8 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1½ cups warm whole milk
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks
- Zest of 2 oranges and 2 lemons
- 3 TBSP dark rum
- 4 TBSP orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 TBSP milk
- Candied fruits
- Pearl sugar
Instructions
- Dissolve 1 TBSP of sugar and yeast into the warm milk. Cover the mixture and set it aside in a warm place for at least 30 minutes until foam forms on the surface.
- Mix the flour with the zests of the oranges and lemons.
- Add the remaining sugar and dissolved yeast mixture. Then, add the butter, egg yolks, rum, and orange blossom water.
- Knead for 3 minutes.
- After the bread is kneaded, add in the salt and continue to knead until there is no more bread on the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add in little bits of flour. However, keep in mind that the dough should be soft and sticky, so it will end up soft and airy.
- Grease a large bowl with some olive oil and then form your dough into a ball and place inside. Once the dough is ready, cover it and put it in a warm and dry place to rise. You’ll want to leave it for 3 hours, which will cause the dough to double in volume.
- Transfer the dough to a flat surface. For about a minute, get rid of any unwanted gas inside the dough.
- Divide the dough into 3 separate pieces—form 3 crown shapes with one large hole in the center.
- Place the wreaths on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and put it in a warm and dry place again, allowing it to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 320°F
- When the dough is done rising, brush it with a mixture of milk and egg yolks (from the toppings section).
- Add candied fruits and pearl sugar. Now would also be the time to add a dry bean or your 1-inch (2.54-cm) doll if you want to.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes.
- Opional, cut the bread in half and add a sweet cream in the middle. But only do this if you haven’t added a doll or dry bean.
- Cut a slice and enjoy!
Notes
If your slice of Roscón de Reyes includes a small doll, you’re the “king” of the celebration and get to wear the paper crown that came with the cake. If your slice has a dry bean in it, you have to pay for the cake next year!
Sources
- Madrid Food Tour: Behind the Bite: Roscón de Reyes
- Wikipedia: Paganism
- 196 Flavors: What is the Origin of Roscon de Reyes
- 196 Flavors: Recipe
- Amazon: Hamilton Beach Bread Maker
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.