French King Cake with Almond Cream (Galette des Rois)

French King Cake with Almond Cream (Galette des Rois)

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

As a lover of all things traditional, I keep the Christmas celebrations going from Christmas Eve to January 6th. Believe me, if I could go full medieval Christmas celebrations I would, but since that seems like a lot of work, I opt for this French King Cake with Almond Cream (Galette des Rois). French king cake is super different from the New Orleans version which is served at some point in the month of January through Mardi Gras.

This galette des rois recipe is the truly traditional French pastry with buttery, flaky layers of puff pastry and a homemade frangipane filling (almond cream). The French hide a whole almond inside and the person who finds it becomes king/queen for the day! And while this cake is a fun way to end the 12 days of Christmas, the crispy pastry and delicious almond cream filling are a perfect cake for anytime you want something a little special for guests or for yourself.

Some of the best features of this recipe:

A buttery, flaky crust made of FROZEN puff pastry. It’s always a great idea to have frozen puff pastry on hand since it is a great base for tons of delicious desserts like Easy Homemade German Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry and Puff Pastry Tarts with Homemade Apple Pie Filling. You can even use it to make savory dishes like Easy Summer Recipe: Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Tart.

A smooth almond cream filling that includes almond flour and almond extract.

A fun fève – a little oven safe ceramic charm or a whole almond – tucked away in the cream. Who will be king/queen for the day?

French King Cake with Almond Cream (Galette des Rois) is a super easy recipe that doesn’t require any special equipment or complicated cooking techniques. All the ingredients are easily found in any grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold

1 1/4 cup almond flour

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs (1 for almond cream, 1 for egg wash)

2 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp water

Helpful Tools

• Fine mesh sieve
• Medium bowl
• ​Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Stand mixer/electric mixer/wooden spoon
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Template for cutting puff pastry circles (see Tips & Tricks)
• Pastry wheel/pizza cutter/sharp knife
• ​Offset spatula or large spoon
• ​Small bowl/cup
• Pastry brush
• Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredient Notes

Be sure to use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond flour is finer and helps create the creamy filling.

If you don’t have almond extract, you can substitute vanilla extract. That said, the almond extract really adds the signature frangipane flavor.

Your puff pastry should be thawed but still cold. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly flour it. Flour your rolling pin as well.

3. Lay one sheet of puff pastry on the parchment paper and roll the dough out to 10×10 inches or 11 x 11 inches. 

4. Place the item you are using as a template (see Tips & Tricks) and cut out your circle using a pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or a sharp knife. Set aside.

5. Cut out a second circle. You can score a design into this circle using the tool you used to cut the circle. Do not cut all the way through. Do make 4 to 5 slits to let the steam escape. You can incorporate the slits into the design. 

6. Lift the parchment paper with the dough with the design and put it on a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Put the prepared puff pastry into the fridge while you make the frangipane/almond cream filling. 

8. Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and add the almond flour. 

9. Gently push the almond flour through the sieve.

10. Add the all purpose flour to the almond flour and gently mix together. Set aside.

11. Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces (does not have to be exact) and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You can also use an electric mixer or mix by hand.

12. Add the sugar to the butter and cream together, 1 to 2 minutes.

13. Add one of the large eggs and the almond extract to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until combined.

14. Gently add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until completely combined. Make sure you scrape down the sides and up from the bottom so that everything is evenly mixed.

15. Prepare an egg wash by combining a beaten egg and 1 tbsp of water in a small cup.

16. Remove the pastry from the fridge.

17. Spread the almond mixture on the bottom disc of dough (the one without the design).

18. Smooth out the almond cream evenly (i.e., there should not be a big mound in the center), using an offset spatula. Leave a 3/4 inch border around all of the edges.

19. Add the egg wash to the border using a pastry brush.

​20. You can add the fève to the almond cream at this point. (See Tips & Tricks for fève ideas.)

21. Place the other circle of puff pastry on top and press the edges down firmly all around.

22. You can crimp the edges like a pie at this point. Place your thumb and index finger in a V-shape over the inside of the prepared galette. Push into the space between your fingers using the index finger of the other hand.

23. Brush the top of the pastry with the rest of the egg wash.

24. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Check out the printable recipe card, below, for complete step-by-step directions.

Storage

Puff pastry is always best eaten the same day it is prepared.You can keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. When you are ready to eat it, place in a 300 degree F oven for about 10 minutes to crisp up the pastry.

Tips & Tricks

Sift your almond flour. Almond flour tends to have lumps that would make for an uneven almond cream if unsifted.

​Be sure your puff pastry is thawed but cold. Return the cut pastry to the fridge while you prepare the almond cream.

The dough should be cut into 9 to 10-inch circles. You can use a dinner plate, a pie pan, or a cake pan as a template.

Roll the dough out evenly from the center. Don’t let the edges get too thin.

When you make a design in the puff pastry, do not cut all the way through or it will split wide open when baking. You do need about 5 small open slits, but the rest should be closed.

Want to add a fève for some 12th day of Christmas – or anytime – fun? You can use a whole almond or a large dry bean. You can also use a small figurine – something heat resistant and non toxic like a tiny ceramic figure. Remember to remind your guests there may be something hard in their cake!

A paper crown is a fun accessory to have available alongside your French king cake.

Don’t let yourself believe that French dishes are complex! Give these super easy French dishes a try: 

Easy French Comfort Food: Creamy Potatoes & Pancetta (Tartiflette)

Easy Spinach Quiche With Store Bought Crust Recipe

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