Galette des Rois (French King Cake)
If you’re looking for the real recipe for Galette des Rois with frangipane and crème pâtissière (the original recipe!), you’ve come to the right place: here’s my easy recipe that’s a hit every time!
What is the Galette des Rois?
Galette des Rois is one of my favorite French traditions! It’s a puff pastry and frangipane (almond cream) cake served in January to celebrate Epiphany.
What makes the Galette des Rois so special, and what I love about this tradition, is that a little figurine called a fève is hidden in the cake. Whoever finds the bean in his or her slice becomes the king or queen of the day and wears a paper crown.
A fun little rule: the youngest person must hide under the table to allocate shares blindly, to ensure fair distribution!
If you want to know more about this tradition, I invite you to read my article Galette des Rois, a French tradition I love.
Ingredients
You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
The galette de rois
- Puff pastry: Choose butter puff pastry for an authentic taste. You can make it yourself or buy it at a bakery.
- Bean: The essential little figurine for choosing the king or queen of the day.
The frangipane
- Butter: Use quality room-temperature butter for a creamy texture.
- Sugar: Preferably bland sugar, but brown sugar also works.
- Almond powder: The basis of frangipane!
- Egg: I use one whole egg and only the white of the other egg. The yolk is used to brown the galette.
- Rum, orange blossom or vanilla : to flavour the frangipane! Personally, I love orange blossom to flavor frangipane, but some people prefer rum or vanilla. The choice is yours!
Pastry cream
- Egg: A whole egg or just an egg yolk to bind the cream.
- Sugar: White sugar to sweeten the cream lightly but not excessively.
- Maïzena: Helps thicken the cream without making it too heavy.
- Milk: Whole milk preferred.
- Vanilla: To flavor the custard. I use natural extract instead of a vanilla pod for this recipe because I only make a small quantity.
Preparing the Galette de Rois
Prepare the crème pâtissière: Heat the milk with the vanilla. Whisk the egg with the sugar and cornstarch. Add half the hot milk to the mixture, then return to the heat to thicken the cream. Leave to cool completely.
Prepare the almond cream: Mix the soft butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg, almond powder and, if desired, a dash of orange blossom, rum or vanilla extract. Then fold in the cooled crème pâtissière.
To assemble the galette: Cut out two discs of puff pastry approximately 26 cm in diameter. Place the first disk on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Spread the frangipane, leaving a 1.5 cm border. Hide the bean near one edge. Cover with the second disk and seal the edges.
Note: If you’re using store-bought puff pastry, I advise you to cut the circle to 26 cm or double the quantities, otherwise the frangipane filling won’t be generous enough.
Decorate and brown: Draw designs on the top with the tip of a knife and brush with egg yolk. Chill for 30 minutes.
Another idea for a slightly simpler motif:
Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before serving.
Ideas for Galette des Rois variations
- Hazelnut or pistachio: Replaces almond powder in whole or in part with hazelnut or pistachio powder.
- Orange and cinnamon: Add orange zest or a little cinnamon to the frangipane for a touch of originality.
- Apple: Replace the custard with 150 g (5.5 oz) applesauce.
Tips for a successful Galette
- Leave the galette to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes before baking: this helps the dough to rise better.
- Don’t forget to hide the bean! Place it near one edge to avoid it interfering with the cutting.
- If the galette browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil at the end of cooking.
More gourmet French recipes
- Homemade croissants: perfect for a gourmet breakfast.
- Amandier: a soft almond cake to enjoy all year round.
- Traditional boeuf bourguignon: the classic French stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze the galette raw or cooked. To eat it, let it defrost before putting it in the oven for a few minutes.
Make sure you seal the edges of the galette and don’t overfill with the frangipane.
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Galette des Rois (French King Cake)
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Equipment
- 1 porcelain figurine or dried bean
- 1 paper crown
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry sheets round, 10 inches (26 cm) in diameter
Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière) – Optional
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 20 g
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch 10 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon milk 100 ml
Almond Cream (Crème d’Amande)
- 1/2 cup sugar 100 g
- 7 tablespoons butter softened 100 g
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ground almonds 100 g
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water rum or vanilla extract (optional for flavouring)
Instructions
Pastry Cream (Optional)
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and frothy. Add the cornstarch and vanilla extract, whisking to combine.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk over low heat until it starts to steam.
- Slowly pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the cream thickens (about 2 minutes). If it doesn’t thicken, slightly increase the heat.
- Once thickened, pour the cream into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.
Almond Cream
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add one whole egg and the egg white of the second egg (reserve the yolk for glazing). Mix well, then stir in the almond flour and orange blossom water (optional).
- For the traditional frangipane, fold the cooled or slightly warm pastry cream into the almond cream mixture.
Galette des Rois
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place one puff pastry sheet on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread the frangipane mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) border around the edges. Brush the border lightly with water.
- Press the figurine (or bean) into the frangipane, near the edge to avoid slicing into it later.
- Gently place the second puff pastry sheet over the top, aligning the edges. Press around the border to seal. Use the back of a knife to create decorative patterns on the surface without cutting through.
- Brush the top with the reserved egg yolk. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the galette is golden brown and puffed.
