Three wise men Christmas cake

Pastel de Reyes

The one true sweet of Christmas time in Spain is El pastel de Reyes, which tastes similar to a very sweet brioche. It is eaten on January 6th – the day of the Three Kings, when Spanish children open their presents. Traditionally, a coin, dried bean or small figurine is hidden inside the dough, and whoever finds it is declared king for the day.

SERVES 10–12

75 g (2½ oz/ ¹/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

75 g (2½ oz) butter, at room temperature

90 ml (3 fl oz) tepid milk

90 ml (3 fl oz) tepid water

25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast

450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon salt

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 free-range eggs, lightly whisked

1 tablespoon brandy

a coin, dried bean or china figurine (optional)

TO DECORATE

1 egg white (free-range), lightly whisked, for glazing

glacé cherries, candied fruit slices and flaked almonds, for decorating

2–3 tablespoons apricot jam

Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat well with a wooden spoon until lightly creamed. Set aside.

Put the milk and water into a small jug, crumble in the yeast and mix until dissolved. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, then make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Use a spoon or your fingers to stir only enough flour into the yeast mixture to create a thick batter consistency. Set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes, until it starts to froth.

When the yeast is ready, add the citrus zest, egg and brandy and mix using your fingers to combine with the paste. Then, using your whole hand, mix in the rest of the flour and knead to form a ball of dough. Add half the butter mixture to the dough and squelch it in to combine. Add the rest of the butter mixture and keep squelching and kneading it together until you have a rather greasy but uniform ball of dough.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead well for at least 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (It will stick to the work surface at first, so use a pastry scraper or knife to scrape it up, incorporate it back into the ball, then sprinkle more flour and continue kneading.)

Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1½ hours, until doubled in size.

Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough with your fist to let out the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead again for 2–3 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a long rectangle shape measuring roughly 60 x 13 cm (24 x 5 inches). If you are using a coin, bean or figurine, put it onto the dough now. Roll the dough up like a long sausage shape, make into a circle and join the ends together. Put the loaf seam side down onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 1½ hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Paint the dough with the egg white, then decorate with your choice of candied fruits and almond flakes. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30–35 minutes. The cake is done when it is golden and springs back when lightly touched. Allow to cool. Heat the jam in a small saucepan until melted, then paint over the cake to glaze.