How to Cook a Three Kings Cake for Epiphany

Epiphany is the January 6 celebration of the revelation (or epiphany) of Jesus Christ to the three Magi (or kings) from the east. It is almost always celebrated with a cake. While Americans prefer a light, white cake for Epiphany, Europeans like to cook a hearty yeast dough for their "Three Kings" cake. The bean, pea, coin or other small item put into the cake has its own meaning.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 2 cups and 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped, mixed, dried fruit
• 1/4 cup and 1 tbsp lukewarm milk
• 1.4 oz fresh yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 7 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
• 2 eggs, 1 separated
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in rum or orange juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest

Instructions

Cook A Three Kings Cake For Epiphany

1. Prepare the yeast as directed on the package (usually with a little sugar and warm milk) and let stand for 10 or 15 minutes.

2. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of flour and make a "well" in the center.

3. Pour the yeast and all the wet ingredients into the well and mix.

4. Add the rest of the flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead it on a floured board until smooth.

5. Knead in the fruit and form the dough into 4 small balls (using about 1/4 of the dough) and 4 large ones (using the rest). Poke a dried bean into the center of one of the balls and a dried pea into another.

6. Place the dough balls in a greased, spring-form tube pan, alternating large and small, and let rise, covered, until they have doubled in size.

7. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

8. Make a glaze by mixing the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar and drizzle it on the Epiphany cake.

9. Decorate with colorful bits of dried fruit while the glaze is still wet.

Tips & Warnings

• The fun of the three kings cake is the bean or tokens hidden inside. The man who finds the bean is crowned king of the Epiphany party. The woman who finds the pea is queen (serve men and women from opposite sides of the cake). A coin means riches in the coming year.

• Check the date on the yeast package. If it is expired, buy a new jar or package. To cook with old yeast may mean a cake that will not rise properly, which will spoil your Epiphany creation.