Portuguese Kings Cake (Bolo Rei) – A Christmas Tradition

If you ask a Portuguese person what dessert says Christmas, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t say it’s the Kings Cake or in Portuguese the Bolo Rei. Kings Cake is a traditional Portuguese cake that is only eaten between December 25th and January 6th. In many Portuguese homes, Christmas isn’t over on December 26th, it’s over on January 6th or Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day). For anyone who wasn’t raised in a Christian home, Kings’ Day is the day that the Three Wise Men or Three Kings visited baby Jesus with gifts. The cake itself, which is actually more of a sweet bread, is shaped like a wreath or a crown with a hole in the centre and decorated with candied fruit and nuts. It is absolutely delicious. This cake isn’t difficult to make but it’s so time-consuming but the end result is totally worth it.

Traditionally, the recipes call for golden raisins, a dried fava bean, and a coin…I know the golden raisins seem reasonable but one fava bean and a coin….you’re probably thinking we’re a crazy bunch. The tradition goes that the person who gets the dried fava bean in their slice of cake is the one who is suppose to buy the Kings Cake next year. Since that is seen as a bit of bad luck, a coin was baked into the cake to balance it out. So it was said that the person who found the coin in their slice would have good financial luck for the year. I personally have no interest in those traditions and the potential choking hazards….especially since we are a clumsy bunch in my family, so I changed up the recipe a bit.

I actually found a version of the recipe is an old Portuguese cookbook that was given to me by my grandmother.  It an old school book called “The Woman: in the living room and the kitchen” It’s a book that was made for the 1950’s housewife, but there are many great tips and recipes in it. I took the recipe I found in the book and changed it to my liking. For example, I’m not a big fan of raisins or I changed it to cranberries instead, and it came out pretty yummy if I do say so myself.

You’ll need

30g of flour
10g of yeast
1/2 tsp of sugar
1/4 cup of warm milk (110 – 115 F)

260g of sifted flour (2 cups)
40g of sugar (1/2 cup)
40g of dried cranberries
25mL of Port Wine (1 1/2 Tbsp)
15g softened butter (1 Tbsp)
25mL of milk
1 egg white
2 eggs (large)
40g of pine nuts
40g of slivered almonds
90g of candied fruit (cut in very small cubed)
red and green candied cherries (for topping)
candied ginger (for topping)
walnut halves (for topping)

Directions:

1. Dissolve the flour, yeast, and sugar in warm milk. I should mention, make sure the milk isn’t any hotter than 115F or else it will kill the yeast and you’ll have to start over….trust me I know…..Gently mix and cover. Be careful when mixing, if you over mix you will kill the yeast. My trick is I use my clean hands to mix it. Set aside and allow the yeast to rise for 30 minutes.
2. Put the dried cranberries in a bowl with the Port Wine and allow to soak for at least 5minutes.
3. Beat the sugar and butter together in a mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the eggs and egg white. Mix well.
4. Now switch your attachment to the dough hook if you are using a mixer.
5. Add the yeast mixture. Kneading slowly, add 1/2 cup of the flour. Once mixed, increase the speed of your mixer. I set my KitchenAid mixer to speed 2.
6. Add the rest of the flour, and add 1 1/2 tbsp of milk and pinch of salt.
7. Add the cranberries and the Port Wine they were soaking in.
8. If you notice that your dough is too moist add flour 1/4 cup at a time until it forms into a ball
9. Add the pine nuts, almonds, and candied fruit. Mix in gently.
10. Put the dough in a buttered and floured bowl. Cover and let rise for at least 90 minutes
11. After 90 minutes, remove the dough from the bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle flour on it, shape the dough into a wreath.
12. Whisk an egg yolk and brush the top of the dough. Add the candied cherries, some candied fruit (I used candied orange) and sliced candied ginger.
13. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 mins. Remove, add halved walnuts and return to oven for 15 minutes, watching to make sure the top doesn’t burn.
14. Once the cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
15. Now go make yourself some tea and enjoy a slice!

Portuguese King’s Cake (Bolo Rei)

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• Author: Bex
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 8 to 10 slices 1x

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Ingredients

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• 30g of flour
• 10g of yeast
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1/4 cup of warm milk (110 – 115 F)
• 260g of sifted flour (2 cups)
• 40g of sugar (1/2 cup)
• 40g of dried cranberries
• 25mL of Port Wine (1 1/2 Tbsp)
• 15g softened butter (1 Tbsp)
• 25mL of milk
• 1 egg white
• 2 eggs (large)
• 40g of pine nuts
• 40g of slivered almonds
• 90g of candied fruit (cut in very small cubed)
• red and green candied cherries (for topping)
• candied ginger (for topping)
• walnut halves (for topping)

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Instructions

1. Dissolve the flour, yeast, and sugar in warm milk. I should mention, make sure the milk isn’t any hotter then 115F or else it will kill the yeast and you’ll have to start over….trust me I know…..Gently mix and cover. Be careful when mixing, if you over mix you will kill the yeast. My trick is I use my clean hands to mix it. Set aside and allow the yeast to rise for 30 minutes.Kings Cake
2. Put the dried cranberries in a bowl with the Port Wine and allow to soak for at least 5minutes.
3. Beat the sugar and butter together in a mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the eggs and egg white. Mix well.
4. Now switch your attachment to the dough hook if you are using a mixer.
5. Add the yeast mixture. Kneading slowly, add 1/2 cup of the flour. Once mixed, increase the speed of your mixer. I set my KitchenAid mixer to speed 2.
6. Add the rest of the flour, and add 1 1/2 tbsp of milk and pinch of salt.
7. Add the cranberries and the Port Wine they were soaking in.
8. If you notice that your dough is too moist add flour 1/4 cup at a time until it forms into a ball
9. Add the pine nuts, almonds, and candied fruit. Mix in gently.
10. Put the dough in a buttered and floured bowl. Cover and let rise for at least 90 minutes
11. After 90 minutes, remove the dough from the bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle flour on it, shape the dough into a wreath.
12. Whisk an egg yolk and brush the top of the dough. Add the candied cherries, some candied fruit (I used candied orange) and sliced candied ginger.Bolo Rei
13. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 mins. Remove, add halved walnuts and return to oven for 15 minutes, watching to make sure the top doesn’t burn.
14. When cooled, dust with powdered sugar
15. Now go make yourself some tea and enjoy a slice!

• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Category: Dessert

Go bake and share this cake with your family and friends. It makes a great tea time treat and it’ll go quickly.

Happy Holidays and enjoy!

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