Previous | Next

For Twelfth Night (Epiphany), the French make a thin, round cake called "Galette des rois." It's also called by some "galette de Noël."

It is a cake made of puff pastry in the shape of a low crown, filled with frangipane.

It is cut into pieces in the kitchen, making sure there is one more piece than there are guests. The pieces are covered with a white cloth and carried to the table for the youngest person to pass out them out. A bean used to be put into the cake, but now it is a small china doll. Whoever finds the doll is the King or Queen, and gets to pick their companion King or Queen.

The extra piece is called the "part à dieu", God's piece, and is set aside for the first guest who walks in the door.

History
In Provence, the cake used to be made of brioche dough.

Language Notes
"Galette des rois" means "cake of the kings". It is sometimes also referred to in the singular, "Galette du Roi".

Also called:

Other entries for:

Twelfth Night Cake
Galette des Rois, King Cake

Other entries for:

Cakes
Aboukir, Alaska Florida, Apple Potato Cake, Baked Alaska, Banbury Cakes, Boston Cream Pie, Boston Favorite Cake, Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake, Christmas Cakes, Clafoutis, Coconut Squares, Coffee Cake, Cupcakes, Eccles Cakes, English Madelines, Fairy Cakes, Flan, Frosting, Galettes, Genoa Bread, Genoa Cake, Jaffa Cakes, Kugelhopf Cakes, Lamingtons, Marzipan Potatoes, Melton Hunt Cake, Mustacae, Napolitain Cakes, Pasta Margherita, Pasta Paradiso, PET Festive Fruitcake, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Pithiviers, Pound Cake, Sheath Cakes, Sheet Cakes, Simnel Cake, Slab Cake, Sponge Cakes, Tipsy Parson, Torte, Tranche Napolitaine, Twinkies, Upside-Down Cakes, Whirlin Cakes, Yule Log

Other entries for:

Desserts
Aboukir Almonds, Angel Delight, Applesauce, Bananas Foster, Bangbelly, Belgian Waffles, Bhapa Doi, Bizcocho Borracho, Cassata Gelata, Cassata, Cassatelle di Ricotta, Cherries Jubilee, Chiboust Cream, Compote, Cookies, Cream Tea, Crème d'amandes, Crème Plombières, Cumberland Rum Butter, Custard, Deep-Fried Mars Bars, Doughnuts, Dream Topping, Dream Whip, Dutch Crunch Topping, Eton Mess, French Toast, Fürst-Pückler-Eis, Halvah, Hattit Kit, Ice Cream Cones, Marshmallows, Meringue Italienne, Meringue Powder, Meringue, Mishti Doi, Moonpies, Nanaimo Bars, Nun's Tummies, Orange à la Norvegienne, Pastry Cream, Pies & Tarts, Pokerounce, Poor Knights of Windsor, Poutine au Pain, Poutine à Trou, Puddings, Spumoni, Syllabub, Tavuk Gögsü, Timbale Brillat-Savarin, Tiramisù, Tortoni, Trifle, Vark, Waffles, Wagashi, Warabi Mochi, Zuccotto

Other entries for: Dishes

Dumplings, Salads, Savoury Dishes