Is there anything better to start the New Year than getting together around a King cake?

Eric Kayser welcomes you in his kitchen to bake a King cake that will delight your relatives.

The ingredients

800g of homemade butter puff pastry or bought at your bakery store.

 

For the syrup:

250g of water.

250g of sugar.

 

For the almond cream:

100g of ground almonds.

1 tablespoon of corn starch.

1 tablespoon of rum.

100g of sugar.

100g of butter.

2 eggs.

+1 egg for the «glue» and the glaze.

The utensils

An electric stand mixer.

A pan.

A brush.

A spoon.

An oven rack or tray for the baking.

A 24 cm diameter’s ring for cutting the puff pastry.

 

A wooden spoon.

A knife for the baker’s signature on top of the cakes.

A dough scraper.

A pastry bag (optional).

The timing

Preparation of the syrup: a dozen of minutes.

Preparation of the cream: a dozen of minutes (and a few hours of rest in the fridge).

Shaping: a dozen of minutes (and a few hours of rest in the fridge).

Baking: 40 minutes at 190°C.

Prepare the syrup by bringing both water and sugar to the boil.

Let it cool down at room temperature.

You can, also, prepare this syrup just before baking your cake if you have let your shaping pastry to rest in the fridge.

 

Start your mixer and add the butter previously softened.

Add the sugar till your blending has whitened.

 

Add the eggs one by one.

Then, the ground almonds, the corn starch, and to finish, the rum.

 

Ideally, let your blending rest for one or two hours in the fridge.

 

Get the puff pastry out of the fridge just before using it. It should not have softened at room temperature.

Cut two puff pastry circles with the help of the cooking rings. Use a knife to make sure that your pastry is perfectly cut.

Be very careful while carrying your puff pastry circles on your greaseproof paper. You can fold it in two or four if you need.

 

Whisk your last egg and brush a thin layer of it on the rim of your puff pastry.

 

Spread your almond cream blending with the help of a pastry bag or with a wooden spoon.

Be careful not to brim over the layer of the beaten egg.

Levelled the top of your almond cream with your wooden spoon.

 

Don’t forget to place your charm on the cream by pressing it a little bit with your finger.

 

Place your second ring on top of this preparation.

And pinch the rims of the both pastry circles together with your fingers.

And finish by making notches on the edge of your pastry for a more beautiful finish.

 

And then, end by glazing the top of your cake with your beaten egg.

 

Ideally, let your King cake to rest a few hours in the fridge before baking it. In order to let the turning to rest.

 

Decorate the top of your King cake with the back of a knife.

And bake it for more or less 45 minutes at 190°C.

 

Finish the decoration of your King cake by applying your syrup with a brush on top of it.

 

It is time to find the charm and choose the queen or king of your year.

 

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