A regal ring of cake with hidden bling
Bean, yes. Baby, no.
It’s one of the distinctions between what many Americans think of as king cake, the confection that comes around each year with Mardi Gras, and the O.G. from which it evolved: roscón de reyes, literally the “ring of kings,” which originated in Europe. France has the galette de rois, Italy the Befana cake, but all of them — and others, including Latin American countries to which the tradition spread — coincide with Three Kings Day, or Epiphany. Celebrated Jan. 6, it is the 12th day of Christmas, when the three kings delivered their gifts to Jesus.
That’s who the little plastic baby inside your tricolor, pre-Lenten Mardi Gras king cake represents.
“For Spaniards,” says Ramón Martínez, “Three Kings Day is like your Christmas day here in America. On Christmas in Spain, we do a small thing and maybe a big lunch. The day all the kids are waiting for is Three Kings Day — that’s when we do all the presents.”
Martínez, director of culinary for Jaleo by José Andrés and a native of Terrassa, a Catalonian city near Barcelona, says the roscón you’d enjoy in Spain (“much like a brioche, flavored with orange water”) differs by region and family recipe, but whether filled with whipped cream or marzipan, two other ingredients make the sweet celebration even
more fun.
“Inside is hidden a fava bean and a small king,” he explains. “And if you get the king, you get crowned with the crown that is on top of the cake.”
Throughout Spain and in other countries, the king — a sign of good fortune — can be represented by other items, such as small porcelain figures.
But what happens if you get the bean?
“Then you have to pay for the cake!” Martínez says, laughing. “It was almost like Russian roulette in my family. We slice up the cake and everyone is eating it and the moment you find something hard in the cake you turn to your mother and you yell, and you get excited….” He trails off for a moment with the memory.
“It’s very simple,” he says, “but very, very traditional and very special for everyone in the family.”
This is Jaleo Disney Springs’ first year celebrating Three Kings Day with its guests; their version of the cake comes plain or cream-filled and is topped with candied fruits, which represent the jewels in the crowns of the kings.
From noon to 4 p.m. on Jan. 6, kids 10 and younger can meet the Three Kings and enjoy a story time, along with free slices of roscón de reyes and chocolate milk. Though if your child finds the bean, he or she will get a prize — not the check.
Order your own, of course, and you won’t get off that easy. Cakes are $40 for plain, $45 cream-filled and serve 6-8 people.
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