Vegan King Cake (Galette des Rois)

Introducing Vegan King Cake! It’s about time I share my take on this French pastry called Galette des Rois!

⭐️ Why You Should Try It

• A French classic. If you have never tried Galette des rois, you are in for a treat! This classic dessert is super popular during January in France and is loved by people of all ages. The version I am sharing here is eggless and can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free puff pastry!
• Loaded with sweet almond paste. This king cake is different from some you may come across in certain bakeries, which contain very little filling. Instead, this one is generously filled with almond paste that is both sweet and buttery.
• Not overly sweet. While traditionally, king cake is quite sweet, this homemade version uses less sugar for a more balanced flavor.

📘 What is Galette des Rois

King cake, or “Galette des Rois,” is a traditional pastry famous in France and French-speaking countries. While the origin of this pastry is unclear, it is said that it first appeared during the Middle Ages. Galette des Rois is typically enjoyed during January for the Epiphany. It consists of a sweet almond filling called frangipane, enclosed between two layers of flaky puff pastry. It’s buttery, rich, and delicious!

A “Galette des Rois” usually contains a “fève,” a small ceramic figurine hidden inside the filling. The one who finds it becomes the king or queen for the day! A tradition says the youngest person needs to hide under the table and tell whoever is cutting the galette who gets which slice. This way, he can’t see which slice has the fève, so he is not biased!

🧈 Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this vegan king cake:

• Puff pastry – To make it easier, I recommend using store-bought puff pastry. While homemade puff pastry indeed tastes a bit better, it requires a long and tedious process.
• Almond flour – It makes the base of the frangipane filling. Use fine almond flour.
• Sugar – Preferably granulated white sugar. Note that you can also use coconut sugar. The filling will be darker and have a slightly different flavor, but it’s still delicious.
• Butter – You can use store-bought vegan butter or homemade vegan butter.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps thicken the almond filling slightly.
• Flax seeds – Ground flax seeds will help the frangipane filling hold up better. They act as a binder.
• Almond extract – While optional, I believe that almond extract brings that flavor specific to galette des rois.
• Vanilla extract – For freshness and to enhance the overall flavor. Use high-quality store-bought vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract. Alternatively, you can replace 1/4 cup of the sugar with vanilla sugar.

🥣 How to Make It

Prepare the frangipane

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the diced butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter with the sugar.
2. Make the flax egg. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax seeds with the almond milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until it has thickened.

Note: Traditionally, the filling contains a mix of frangipane and pastry cream (crème pâtissière). Nowadays, most king cakes sold in bakeries omit the pastry cream. Hence, I didn’t use it here. If you want to use pastry cream, replace 1/4 of the weight of the frangipane filling with vanilla pastry cream. It will yield a lighter texture that is less nutty and stronger on the vanilla flavor.

3. Add the remaining ingredients. Next, add the almond flour, cornstarch, and flax egg to the creamed butter. Pour in the almond extract and vanilla extract.
4. Mix until combined. Mix until it forms a very thick paste. At this point, you can taste the frangipane and add more almond or vanilla extract if you want.

Assemble the galette

Once your filling is ready, it’s time to assemble the galette.

1. Cut two discs of puff pastry. Using the help of a round cake pan, cut two 8-inch discs of puff pastry. Arrange one disc on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Pipe the almond cream. Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. Then, pipe the frangipane in a spiral evenly over the puff pastry disc, leaving about one inch of margin. At this point, you can press a porcelain figurine (fève) into the frangipane.
3. Slightly wet the edges. Dip your finger in water and run your finger along the edges of the puff pastry. This will help seal both discs of puff pastry.
4. Top with the second disc of puff pastry. Place the second puff pastry disc on top of the frangipane.

🥥 Variations

This galette des rois is delicious as is, but feel free to customize it to your liking! Here are a few ideas:

• Use a mix of almond flour and almond meal. For a deeper and nuttier flavor, use a 50/50 combination of blanched almond flour and almond meal. It will also give your frangipane a more rustic look, adding brown specks.
• Add shredded coconut. Replace 1/3 cup of almond flour with shredded coconut for a subtle coconut flavor.
• Infuse with orange blossom water. Add 1 tablespoon of orange blossom to the frangipane for a fruity and citrusy aroma.

🥂 What to Serve It With

We can serve this vegan king cake warm or at room temperature with a glass of apple cider or apple liquor. Galette des rois can be enjoyed as a dessert or an afternoon snack!

💬 FAQ