Traditional French 'king cake' sold at Belmont and Cambridge bakeries

French dessert can make you king for the day

Galette des Rois is made to celebrate the Epiphany on Jan. 6th. Praline French Patisserie in Belmont, Cambridge sells it through Jan. 31st.

If you love French desserts, be sure to stop into Praline French Patisserie in Belmont (203 Belmont St.) or Cambridge (6 Columbia St.) this month to get your galette des rois, which means “king cake.”

The king cake celebrates the Epiphany (a Christian feast day recognizing the Three Wise Men visiting the infant Jesus), Jan. 6, in France and Quebec. A porcelain figurine is hidden inside the cake, which consists of flaky puff pastry layers with a dense center of frangipane (almond cream). Whoever gets the slice with the figurine becomes “king for the day,” and even gets a golden cardboard crown to wear that Praline includes with each order.

Praline is making and selling the galette des rois through Jan. 31. It serves six to eight people and is priced at $52 or $9 per slice. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance.

What is a galette des rois?

Chef-owner Sophie Benyamina said the process to make the galette takes two days.

First, she makes the laminated dough, then she folds butter into the dough six different times, letting the dough rest between each fold.

The creamy filling is made with almonds, butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla or rum.

A small porcelain figurine is then hidden inside the dough and the person who finds the trinket in his/her slice becomes king for the day.

It’s finished with an outer layer of dough and the cake is baked until it is a golden brown color.

How to slice a ‘king cake’

It is tradition for the youngest person in the group to sit under the table and name the recipient for each slice of galette des rois to be served, according to Benyamina.

Another way to divide the slices is to cut the amount for the people to be served, plus one additional slice for the poor, she said.

Praline includes a gold cardboard crown with every galette des rois sold. Whoever finds the figurine in their slice gets to wear the crown.