Portuguese king cake

This is a cake full of traditions in Portugal that must be present at the table on Christmas Eve or Three Kings Day! It's a round, garland-shaped cake with a great mix of flavors!

If you want to surprise your family with a homemade Portuguese King Cake, get your hands dirty and make this simple and fluffy King cake, full of colors and delicious candied fruits! Prepare the cake with your children to make Christmas even more fun!

If you're looking for Desserts to make on Christmas Day, check out this Nutella Christmas tree, Portuguese rice pudding (Arroz doce), Portuguese carrot doughnuts or these delicious Chocolate Christmas cookies!

CURIOSITY!

Inside the cake there is often a gift made of metal or dry bean. It is often said that is a lucky factor for whoever finds the gift inside the cake, on the other hand, whoever finds the bean will have to pay for the next Portuguese King Cake.

HOW TO MAKE PORTUGUESE KING CAKE

Step 1: In a large bowl, pour the flour and the baker’s yeast and mix with your hands.

Step 2: Add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and mix well.

Pour the water, eggs, Port wine, margarine and knead with your hands until a compact mixture.

Step 3: Place the dough on a table (preferably wooden) sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and knead it well until it’s fully involved and soft (go sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary).

Step 4: When this process is completed, let the dough rise in a bowl covered with cling film about 1 hour.

Step 5: Remove the cling film and mix the dried fruit and the candied fruit in the dough.

Step 6: Place the dough in a table sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and knead it some more.

Step 7: Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and give it a rounded shape with a hole in the middle. Cover with cling film and let the the dough rest for 1 hour.

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Step 9: Whisk an egg in a bowl. Remove the cling film and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Garnish with candied fruit, dried fruit and powdered sugar.

Step 10: Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Step 11: Remove the cake from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Step 12: Sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar and serve.

TIPS FOR PORTUGUESE KING CAKE

1. Place the oven rack in the middle. This allows the hot air to circulate evenly around the batter, resulting in even cooking.

2. Never open the oven door while the cake is baking. The kitchen temperature is always lower than the oven temperature, what will happen is that the oven temperature will drop and the risk of the cake sinks in the middle increases.

3. The first thing to do before taking the cake out of the oven, is to stick a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it's dry, it's cooked. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for another 5 minutes.

4. Do not open the oven door all the way, leave the door open about 10 to 15 centimeters (4 inches to 6 inches) and wait another 5 or 10 minutes so that the heat enters the kitchen and there is no temperature shock that causes the cake to collapse (the time depends on the season of the year, if it is summer leave it for about 5 minutes, if it is winter 10 minutes).

Portuguese king cake

This traditional Portuguese King Cake is filled with candied and dried fruits! It's a cake full of colors and flavors that is very popular at Christmas and Three Kings Day!

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Category:Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Recipes, Traditional Portuguese recipes, Videos
Cuisine: Portuguese
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 18 slices
Prep Time:40 m
Cook Time:40 m
Total Time:3:20 h
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Ingredients
• 375 grams (2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dry baker’s yeast
• 75 ml (1/3 cup) water
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Port wine
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) margarine to room temperature
• 75 grams (2 2/3 ounces) candied fruit
• 75 grams (2 2/3 ounces) dried fruit
• 1 medium egg for brushing
• Candied fruit and dried fruit for garnish (about 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces))
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for garnish
Directions
1. In a large bowl, pour the flour and the baker’s yeast and mix with your hands.
2. Add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and mix well. Pour the water, eggs, Port wine, margarine and knead with your hands until a compact mixture.
3. Place the dough on a table (preferably wooden) sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and knead it well until it’s fully involved and soft (go sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary).
4. When this process is completed, let the dough rise in a bowl covered with cling film about 1 hour.
5. Remove the cling film and mix the dried fruit and the candied fruit in the dough.
6. Place the dough in a table sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and knead it some more.
7. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and give it a rounded shape with a hole in the middle. Cover with cling film and let the the dough rest for 1 hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
9. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Remove the cling film and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Garnish with candied fruit, dried fruit and powdered sugar.
10. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from oven and let cool to room temperature.
12. Sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar and serve.
Portuguese king cake
Nutrition facts
Serves 18 slices
Per Serving:
% DAILY VALUE
Calories 143
Total Fat 3 g(5%)
Saturated Fat 0.5 g(3%)
Cholesterol 27 mg(9%)
Sodium 37 mg(2%)
Total Carbohydrate 25 g(8%)
Protein 3 g