Ingredients
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15–18 glace Cherries
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75 g plain Flour
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150 g Unsalted Butter
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200 g Caster Sugar
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4 Egg
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150 g ground Almonds
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2 tbsp Milk
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To Assemble
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Cake Charm
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Icing Sugar
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150–200 g Marzipan
Directions
This is my interpretation of the French Galette des Rois, a delicious almond-rich cake customarily made for Twelfth Night (6 January), when the three kings are said to have arrived in Bethlehem. Traditionally the cake is served topped with a cardboard crown and a small treasure, such as a cake charm or coin, hidden within it. As the cake is cut, the youngest person sits under the table and calls out the name of the guest who should receive each piece. Whoever finds the charm wears the crown, reigns supreme for the evening and is exempt from the washing up…
Steps
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1
Done
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Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Rinse the sticky sugar syrup off the cherries in a sieve with a little warm water. Dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Cut the cherries in half and set aside. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and set aside. |
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2
Done
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In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon or hand-held electric whisk until very light and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp flour with each and beating thoroughly before adding the next. Carefully fold in the remaining flour, using a large metal spoon. Fold in the ground almonds and sufficient milk to give a soft dropping consistency. |
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3
Done
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Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling it out with the back of the spoon. Drop the cake charm or coin into the mix. |
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4
Done
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Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a 5mm thickness. Cut into strips 20 cm x 1.5 cm. Arrange these in a lattice pattern on top of the cake and lightly balance a cherry half in the centre of each of the lattice squares. |
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5
Done
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Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out. This cake will keep for 2 weeks stored in an airtight tin. |
