French-speaking countries and regions There are two different versions of the French king cake: the and the . The is a flaky
puff pastry traditionally filled with
frangipane. These days the filling may also be fruit, chocolate or cream-based fillings. It has become a tradition for pastry chefs to create innovative versions of the featuring ingredients like flavored liquors, candied fruits and ganache. The (referred to as , , or ) is mainly popular in the Occitan-speaking regions of the south of France. It is a crown-shaped brioche dough decorated with
candied fruit and coarse sugar. The Guianan galette (more commonly known as the Creole galette) is a traditional pastry of
French Guianan cuisine. This is a Creole variant of the which is eaten as a dessert during
Epiphany. It can be garnished with
cream,
coconut,
guava, etc. It is consumed throughout the
Carnival period (from the Epiphany until
Ash Wednesday) and preferably accompanied by champagne. A paper crown is included with purchased cakes to crown the "king" or "queen" who finds the "" or bean, or coin hidden inside the cake. To ensure a random distribution of the pieces, the youngest person is to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of each piece as they are cut. When store-bought, the can be a tiny porcelain figurine of a religious character or, nowadays, a figurine referencing pop-culture or popular cartoons.
German-speaking countries The German and Swiss , or three kings cakes, are shaped like wreathes or rounds, and use an almond as the fève. The recipe is derived from the Southern French , which found its way to Portugal when '''' opened as the Portuguese monarchy's official bakery in 1829. The cake is round with a large hole in the centre, resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit. It is baked from a soft, white dough, with raisins, various nuts and
crystallized fruit. Also included is the dried
fava bean, and tradition dictates that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the cake next year. ====== Variations of the are eaten in Spain and Latin America around January 6th. They generally have an oval shape due to the need to make cakes large enough for large groups. For decoration,
figs,
quinces,
cherries, or dried and
candied fruits are often, but not exclusively, used. In Mexico, Central and South America, the figurine represents the
Child Jesus. The figurine of the baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family, fleeing from
Herod the Great's
Massacre of the Innocents. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on
Candlemas Day or host a party that day.
United Kingdom The Twelfth cake, Twelfth-night cake, or Twelfth-tide cake was once popular in the
United Kingdom on Twelfth Night. It was frequently baked with a bean hidden in one side and a
pea hidden in the other; the man/lord finding the bean became King for the night, while the woman/lady finding the pea became the Queen – also known as the Lord or Lady of Misrule. Earlier, in the time of
Shakespeare, there was only a
Lord of Misrule, chosen by the hidden bean, reflected in Shakespeare's play
Twelfth Night.
Samuel Pepys recorded a party in London on Epiphany night 1659/1660, and described the role the cake played in the choosing of a "King" and "Queen" for the occasion: "to my cousin Stradwick, where, after a good supper, there being there my father, mother, brothers, and sister, my cousin Scott and his wife, Mr. Drawwater and his wife, and her brother, Mr. Stradwick, we had a brave cake brought us, and in the choosing, Pall was Queen and Mr. Stradwick was King. After that my wife and I bid adieu and came home, it being still a great frost." Although still occasionally found in the United Kingdom, as the
Industrial Revolution curtailed the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas during the
Victorian era, the cake declined in popularity to be replaced by the
Christmas cake. 18th century actor
Robert Baddeley's will bequeathed £3 per annum to serve wine,
punch and a Twelfth Night cake to the performers of the
Drury Lane Theatre in the
green room each Twelfth Night; the ceremony of the "Baddeley Cake" has remained a regular event, missed only 13 times in over 200 years, during wartimes or theatre closures.
United States In
Louisiana and parts of the
Gulf Coast region historically settled by the French, king cake is associated with
Mardi Gras and is traditionally served from Epiphany until
Carnival and recently year-round. It may have been introduced by
Basque settlers in 1718, or by the French in 1870. It comes in a number of styles. The simplest, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted
cinnamon roll-style dough. It may be topped with icing or sugar, which may be colored to show the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Traditionally, a small plastic baby symbolizing Jesus is hidden in the king cake. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. That person is also responsible for purchasing next year's cake or hosting the next Mardi Gras party. Often, bakers place the baby outside of the cake, leaving the purchaser to hide it themselves. This is usually to avoid liability for any choking hazard. In 2009, the
New Orleans Pelicans basketball team introduced the King Cake Baby as a seasonal
mascot. The
New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the Zephyrs) were a
AAA baseball team that played their final three seasons (2017–2019) with that name before relocating and becoming the
Wichita Wind Surge. ==Gallery==