 Two slices of a Manny Randazzo King Cake, with a plastic infant "King" on top, from Metairie, Louisiana, United States. | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Latin Europe |
| Region or state | France,Portugal,Spain,Latin America |
| Similar dishes | |
Aking cake, also known as athree kings cake or ababy cake, is acake associated in many countries withEpiphany, the celebration of theTwelfth Night after Christmas.[1] Traditionally made withbrioche dough, in most cases afève (lit. 'fava bean') such as a figurine representing the Christ Child, was hidden inside.[2] After the cake is cut, whoever finds the fève in their slice wins a prize.[3][2] In a nod to tradition, a plastic baby figurine is often taped to the packaging of commercially produced cakes. Modern fèves can be made of other materials, but always represent the King or Baby Jesus.[4]
The origin of the cake tradition was popularly believed to be related to the RomanSaturnalia.[5] These were festivals dedicated to the god Saturn so that the Roman people, in general could celebrate the longer days that began to come after the winter solstice.[6] For this reason,Margaret Hasluck disputed the Greek tradition commemoratingSt. Basil's feast day withvasilopita, claiming that both customs had a common origin in theSaturnalia andKronia.[7]
In the Middle Ages, it was said that the king who was chosen had to pay the assembly a general round of drinks. To prevent cheating, the edible bean was replaced by aporcelain bean.[8] In Christian tradition the cake commemorates the witness of the "Three Kings".[9][10]
The earliest known reference to a king cake in North America, including a recipe, dates to 1649. An early French settler ofPort Royal,Acadia (nowAnnapolis Royal,Nova Scotia) was required to deliver annually to thelord of Port Royal and his wife, "on the eve of the Feast of Kings ... a round cake made with a quarter bushel of the finest white wheat flour, kneaded with six eggs and half a pound of the freshest butter, with a black bean placed in the cake’s edge ... to their château and seigneurial manor at Port Royal."[11]
The tradition of the Mardi Gras king cake did not become established until the 20th-century, although the ubiquitousgold, purple and green sprinkles have been standard decoration since 1872. The cake is usually purchased at a shop. Many holiday foods have rituals and customs connected to the preparation of the food, but the customs of the kings cake mainly revolve around the fève.[12] Sugar was always a big industry in New Orleans, where local bakeries took an active role in turning the cake into a modern cultural icon. Old-fashioned versions of the cake are basically a round braided brioche without filling but these days bakeries try to outdo one another with creative fillings.[13][14]
There are two different versions of the French king cake: thegalette and thegâteau. Thegalette des rois is a flakypuff pastry traditionally filled withfrangipane. 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 thegalette featuring ingredients like flavored liquors, candied fruits and ganache.[15]
Thegâteau des rois associated mainly with the region ofProvence in the south of France is a brioche dough decorated withcandied fruit and coarse sugar.[16]
The Guianan galette (more commonly known as the Creole galette) is a traditional pastry ofFrench Guianan cuisine. This is a Creole variant of the galette des rois which is eaten as a dessert duringEpiphany.[17] It can be garnished with cream,coconut,guava, etc. It is consumed throughout theCarnival period (from the Epiphany until Lent, endingAsh Wednesday) and preferably accompanied by champagne.[citation needed]
A paper crown is included with purchased cakes to crown the "king" or "queen" who finds the "fève" 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.[18] When store-bought, thefève can be a tiny porcelain figurine of a religious character or, nowadays, a figurine referencing pop-culture or popular cartoons.[citation needed]
The German and SwissDreikönigskuchen 'three kings cakes' are shaped like wreathes or rounds, and use an almond as the fève.[19]
Bolo-rei (lit. 'king cake') is a traditionalPortuguese cake eaten from the beginning of December until Epiphany.[20] The recipe is derived from the Southern Frenchgâteau des rois, which found its way to Portugal during the 1800s whenConfeitaria Nacional[21] opened as the Portuguese monarchy's official bakery in 1829.[22]
The cake is round with a large hole in the centre,[23] resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit.[citation needed] It is baked from a soft, white dough, with raisins, various nuts andcrystallized fruit. Also included is the driedfava bean, and tradition dictates that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the cake next year.[24]
The roscón de reyes is eaten in Spain and Latin America. Recipes vary from country to country and between cultures but tend to be similar. It generally has an oval shape due to the need to make cakes large enough for large groups. For decoration,figs,quinces,cherries, or dried andcandied fruits are often, but not exclusively, used.[25][26][27]
In Spain the cake consists of a sweetbrioche dough aromatised with orange blossom water and decorated with slices of candied or crystallized fruit of various colors. It can be filled with whipped cream, cream, almond paste or others. The figurine traditionally represents one of the Three Wise MenBiblical Magi. A drybroad bean is also introduced inside the roscón. It is tradition that whoever finds the bean pays for the roscón.[28][27]
In Mexico, Central and South America, the figurine represents theChild Jesus. The figurine of the baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family, fleeing fromHerod the Great'sMassacre of the Innocents. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church onCandlemas Day[29] or host a party that day.[30]
The Twelfth cake, Twelfth-night cake, or Twelfth-tide cake[31][19] was once popular in theUnited Kingdom on Twelfth Night. It was frequently baked with a bean hidden in one side and apea 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[32] – also known as the Lord or Lady of Misrule.[33] Earlier, in the time ofShakespeare, there was only aLord of Misrule, chosen by the hidden bean, reflected in Shakespeare's playTwelfth Night.[34]
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."[35]
Although still occasionally found in the United Kingdom, as theIndustrial Revolution curtailed the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas during theVictorian era,[36] the cake declined in popularity to be replaced by theChristmas cake. 18th century actorRobert Baddeley's will bequeathed £3 per annum to serve wine,punch and a Twelfth Night cake to the performers of theDrury Lane Theatre in thegreen 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.[37]
InLouisiana and parts of theGulf Coast region historically settled by the French, king cake is associated withMardi Gras and is traditionally served from Epiphany untilCarnival[38] and recently year-round.[39] It may have been introduced byBasque settlers in 1718,[40] or by the French in 1870.[41]
It comes in a number of styles. The simplest, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twistedcinnamon 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.[38] Cakes may also be filled withcream cheese,praline, cinnamon, or an assortment of fruit fillings.[42]
Traditionally, a small plastic baby,[43] symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of Louisiana to celebrate their Christian faith.[44] The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. That person is also responsible for purchasing next week's cake[45] or hosting the next Mardi Gras party.[42][46] 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.[47]
In 2009, theNew Orleans Pelicansbasketball team introduced the King Cake Baby as a seasonalmascot.[48] TheNew Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the Zephyrs) were aAAA baseball team that played their final three seasons (2017–2019) with that name before relocating and becoming theWichita Wind Surge.[citation needed]
According to the 1923 Dennison's Christmas Book, "there should be a King and a Queen, chosen by cutting a cake". The Twelfth Night Cake has a bean and a pea baked into it. The man who finds the bean in his slice of cake becomes King for the night while the woman who finds a pea in her slice of cake becomes Queen for the night.
see LITURGY AND CUSTOM & Popular merry-making.
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