Roscón de Reyes: The Traditional Spanish Cake for Epiphany

Roscón de Reyes, or the Kings Cake, is a traditional pastry from Spain that is usually eaten on January 6th, the day of Epiphany. According to the Christian tradition, this is the day when the Three Wise Men, or the Kings, visited baby Jesus and gave him gifts. In Spain, this day is celebrated with parades, gifts, and of course, a delicious cake.

The Roscón de Reyes is a sweet, yeast-based dough that is shaped into a ring and decorated with candied fruits and sugar. It is often filled with whipped cream or pastry cream, and sometimes contains surprises such as small toys or coins. It is a festive and symbolic cake that is enjoyed by families and friends during the Epiphany holiday.

If you want to try making your own Roscón de Reyes, here is a recipe that you can follow:

Ingredients:

– 500g of strong bread flour
– 100g of sugar
– 150g of unsalted butter, softened
– 3 large eggs
– 150ml of milk
– 7g of active dry yeast
– 1 tsp of salt
– 1 lemon zest
– 1 orange zest
– 1 tsp of orange blossom water
– Candied fruits and sugar for decoration

Instructions:

1. Warm up the milk in a saucepan until it is lukewarm. Add the yeast and sugar and stir until dissolved. Leave it aside for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to froth.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the softened butter and mix until the texture is crumbly.

3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the eggs, the milk and yeast mixture, the lemon and orange zest, and orange blossom water. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

4. Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rise for about 2 hours in a warm place. It should double in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a baking sheet with butter.

6. Punch down the dough to release the air and shape it into a ring. Place it on the baking sheet and leave it to rise again for about 30 minutes.

7. Decorate the top of the dough with candied fruits and sugar. You can also create a small hole in the dough and hide a toy or coin inside (be careful when eating!).

8. Bake for about 30 minutes until the Roscón de Reyes is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

9. Leave it to cool down before cutting it in slices and adding whipped cream or pastry cream inside.

If you follow these instructions, you should end up with a delicious and festive Roscón de Reyes that will impress your guests and family. Remember to enjoy it with a hot chocolate or a glass of Cava!

Summary:

– Roscón de Reyes is a traditional Spanish pastry that is usually eaten on Epiphany, January 6th.
– The pastry is a sweet, yeast-based dough that is shaped into a ring and decorated with candied fruits and sugar.
– The dough can be filled with whipped cream or pastry cream, and sometimes contains surprises such as small toys or coins.
– The Roscón de Reyes is a festive and symbolic cake enjoyed by families and friends during the Epiphany holiday.
– To make your own Roscón de Reyes, you need basic ingredients such as bread flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, yeast, and zests of lemon and orange, among others.
– Making a Roscón de Reyes involves several steps such as combining and mixing the ingredients, kneading, rising, shaping, decorating, and baking the dough to perfection.