Three King's Cake (or the perfect excuse to extend Christmas one more week)

Christmas is over.

Completely absolutely ended.

If your Christmas tree is still in your living room is time to take it away. No, is not giving a vintage look to the room. Yes, it´s starting to look odd.

At least you pretend that there is another excuse to keep it in place. And yes, you´re right. Today I´ll give you the perfect excuse: you need to bake a Three King´s Cake.

This cake is a traditional cake that is only cooked and eaten the 6th of January each year.

When the long-awaited day finally arrives, the whole family come out onto the street to receive the Wise Men. They arrive with a traditional parade, riding through the streets on their camels, loaded with presents and accompanied by royal pages who throw sweets and goodies to the children.

After the parade, children go to bed early but excited, to wait for Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar to come in and leave presents in their shoes. First they should put water and bread on the windowsill for the camels to eat and drink while the Wise Men do their work.

The morning after, the children open their presents and have Three King's Cake for breakfast. Inside the cake there are hidden a bean and a presents. Whoever gets the bean needs to bake next year´s cake, and whoever gets the presents is crowned King for the day.

This cake is delicious eaten on its own or filled with whipped cream, chocolate or jam.

WHAT DO YOU NEED

For two medium units or an extra-large one!

For the sourdough

75 ml Milk
10 g Dry Active yeast
1 tsp Sugar
130 g White strong flour

For the dough

60 ml Milk
70 g Butter at room temperature
2 Medium eggs
15 g of fresh baker's yeast
450 g White strong flour
120 g Sugar
Zest of two oranges
Zest of one lemon

To decorate
Flaked almonds
Icing sugar
Candied fruit (or dried fruit)
A beaten egg

WHAT DO YOU DO

First of all we will need to prepare the sourdough . dissolve the yeast in the milk slightly warmed, add the sugar and flour and mix well until having a ball of dough.

Then, put the ball in a bowl filled up with warm water and wait for it to float. It can take around 15 minutes, but it will float (I promise!!) just be patient even if it seems it is no to going to float in life!

In the meantime we can start with the dough. First dissolve the yeast in the milk slightly warmed.

Then, in a deep bowl, sift the flour and begin to knead. Add the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and orange, the milk plus the yeast and finally the sourdough. When everything is well mixed, add the butter.
We let the dough set for about 5 hours or until doubled in size.

Then divide it into two balls and make a hole in each one creating a wheel. Put them on a baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg and let set for another two hours.

Finally, paint again with beaten egg and pour over the almonds, dried fruit and sprinkle some icing sugar

Bake 18-20 minutes at 180 º. Transfer the cake into a wire rack to cool completely.

Eat while your Christmas tree is still looking green.