Recipe: Roscón de Reyes cake by Omar Allibhoy

Translated as the “King’s Cake”, Roscón de Reyes is a traditional Spanish cake that’s eaten on 6 January – the day of the Epiphany. Omar Allibhoy, “The Spanish Chef”, shares his recipe for the cake which comes with a paper crown and contains two objects hidden inside: a baby Jesus or coin and a dry fava bean. The person who finds the figurine or coin is “crowned” as king or queen of the day and has good luck for the year. The person who finds the fava bean has to pay for next year’s Roscón.

Ingredients: for the dough

• 130g whole milk
• 50g orange blossom water
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• 1½ zest of orange
• 1 zest of lemon
• 1 tbsp of rum
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks
• 500g bread flour
• 21g fresh yeast (or 5g of dried)
• 1 pinch table salt
• 170g caster sugar
• 120g butter

For garnishing

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• 1 egg
• 100g of sugar
• 1 tbsp of water
• 100g of confit or glazed fruit
• 50g of flaked almonds

Method

• In a mixer place the flour, blossom water, cinnamon powder, orange, lemon zest, rum, yeast and milk and mix on low for three minutes before adding sugar, salt, eggs and egg yolks.
• Mix for five minutes, add butter and mix again for five minutes until the dough becomes shiny and smooth. Cover and rest in the fridge for two hours.
• Fold the dough a few times to take the air out, and then rest for one hour at room temperature.
• Using a baking tray covered in baking paper, place the dough into the shape of a large doughnut and brush with egg.
• Mix the sugar and the water into a crumble consistency and scatter it over the top. Follow with flaked almonds and sliced confit fruit.
• Let the doughnut proof until it doubles in size and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for around 20 minutes. Take out of the oven carefully and let it get to room temperature before serving.

Omar Allibhoy is a partner of Baron de Ley Rioja, a family-owned winery located in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Rioja. For more recipes see barondeley.com/thespanishchef