Homemade King’s Cake: a tastier and healthier alternative

Next time, don't order your Three King’s Cake. With this homemade Spanish recipe you'll surprise everyone!

BY Silvia Cardona | 31 December 2024

The traditional roscón is so much more than just a Christmas confection. It has become an undeniable part of Spanish culture. The tradition is well known: whoever finds the King gets to wear a crown and whoever finds the fève... will have to pay for the next year's roscón. But what if we were to change the rules of the game this Christmas?

Our suggestion is a homemade roscón recipe in order to enjoy a new experience and save you from standing in endless queues at your favourite bakery. Although we are going to bake the traditional recipe, making a homemade roscón is a perfect option for vegans or people with intolerances, diabetes or allergies, as they can switch or remove ingredients as they wish. And we’ll pretend we didn’t say this, but as you are the one who hides the fève and the King in the cake, if you play your cards right, this year you can guarantee the crown will be for you.

Ingredients:

For the dough

400 g strong flour
20 g fresh baker's yeast
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
150 g sugar
2 eggs
200 ml milk (room temperature)
80 g butter
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
Orange and lemon zest
Vanilla (optional)
Cinnamon (one stick)
Salt

For the decoration

1 egg
Candied fruit
Sugar
Sliced almonds

Preparation:

First prepare a sourdough starter by dissolving the baker's yeast in lukewarm milk (50 ml).
In another bowl, add half of the flour (200 g) and form a hole in the centre, shaped like a crater, where you will pour the yeast dissolved in milk. Mix thoroughly until the dough is homogeneous.
Knead the dough into a round shape and allow to rest for 10-12 hours while raising. It is therefore advisable to do these steps the night before baking.
Once this time has elapsed, the first thing to do is to flavour the milk (100 ml) with the orange and lemon zest and a cinnamon stick, simmering it for 5 minutes. If there are any remaining solids, it is best to strain them out so that there are no unwanted lumps in the cake.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs and sugar, the flavoured milk (warm) and, if desired, a pinch of vanilla, salt and a tablespoon of rum. Whisk until well blended. Add the remaining baker's yeast dissolved in milk and 200 g of strong flour. Mix until well blended.
Finally, add the butter, the raised starter dough and the orange blossom water, an essential ingredient of the roscón de Reyes, which gives it its characteristic flavour. Knead until you have a uniform dough.
On a clean surface sprinkled with flour, knead until the dough is elastic. Cover with a cloth and allow to stand for 3 hours.
When you take the dough out after this time, you will see that it has doubled its original volume. Now it is time to form the traditional ring shape. To do this, you can place a bowl in the centre to prevent the dough from sticking back together again. Make sure it is covered with oil or grease, to prevent sticking.
Finally, the fun moment has arrived... hiding the surprises! Decide where the figurine and the fève will go and don't tell anyone. Using a basting brush, paint the roscón with egg wash.
Finally, place it on a baking tray and cover it with a cotton cloth. Allow it to stand until it the volume has doubled again.
Remove the cloth and bake the roscón for 10-15 minutes at 180 ºC.
Allow it to cool and decorate it with sliced (and previously toasted) almonds, candied fruit and icing sugar.
And that's it! Now you just have to wait until Twelfth Night to enjoy it. The traditional Spanish roscón does not come with a filling, but if you wish you can add custard, whipped cream, a truffled chocolate filling, meringue or whatever you fancy. To do this, split the dough in two parts before starting point eight of this recipe.