Recipe for Kings’ Cake with Lighter Frangipane

Prepare the dough (preferably the day before). The mixture: in a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Then add 40 g of soft butter and incorporate it into the flour by pressing with a fork until you achieve a sandy texture. Finish the mixture by adding 60 ml of water until you obtain a smooth ball that is no longer crumbly. Cover the bowl and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut 70 g of cold butter into slices about 1/2 cm thick and let it warm up for 10 minutes at room temperature. The pastry: roll out the dough into a square 1/2 cm thick on a floured work surface. Place the butter slices in the center of the square, forming a diamond shape (a square turned 1/8 turn). Fold the dough over the butter to enclose it. Start by flattening the dough with your hands to evenly distribute the butter, then stretch it lengthwise with a rolling pin to form a strip three times longer than wide and fold it into thirds. Place the folded dough in a plate without turning it over. Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Once this resting time has passed, roll out the dough lengthwise again and fold it into thirds. Rotate the dough a quarter turn. Roll out and fold again into thirds before returning it to the fridge. Repeat the previous step 30 minutes later. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes in the fridge before using it.

Prepare the frangipane (it can also be made the day before) in a saucepan, mix the eggs, flour, and both sugars until you achieve a smooth mixture. Gradually add the milk and the almond flavoring. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously, then let it boil for 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cubes of cold butter. Finally, incorporate the almond flour. Let the frangipane cream cool and refrigerate if you are not using it immediately.

Assemble the pastry: divide the dough in half and roll it out on a floured surface. You should obtain two circles of about 22 cm in diameter. Line the bottom of a pie dish or baking sheet with parchment paper and place the first circle of dough on it. Spread the frangipane filling in the center in a circle of about 18 cm in diameter. Push the bean into the edge of the frangipane circle. Brush the edge of the dough around the frangipane with beaten egg. Cover with the second circle of dough and seal the edges by pressing lightly. Cut 1 cm of dough from the edge to ensure proper rising of the pastry.

To finish, brush the pastry with beaten egg and draw a grid pattern with a knife. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes.