This King's Cake is the Swiss version called Dreikönigskuchen, consisting of a fluffy yeast dough studded with raisins and topped with a paper crown. There are many different variations of the Kings Cake all over the world, originating from an old Roman tradition, but most have this in common: it is eaten on January 6th to celebrate the Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season.
With the Swiss tradition, a king-shaped figurine, or often a whole almond, is hidden in one of the rolls of this fluffy cake or bread. The person who finds it gets to be 'king' for the day. While in Switzerland most people buy a king's cake from the local bakery, it's easy to make one at home using just a few ingredients.
What is the Dreikönigskuchen?
Dreikönigskuchen is the Swiss version of a King's Cake popular in different cultures all over the world. In the USA, the most well-known versions are the Mexican Rosca de Reyes and the Spanish Roscón de Reyes, as well as the New Orleans King Cake.
The Swiss King's Cake is a fluffy, yeast-raised bread that's sweetened with a bit of sugar and raisins. It's shaped like one large roll surrounded by a circle of smaller rolls. One of the rolls has a king-shaped figurine hidden in it. While it used to be made from porcelain, the modern figurine is made from plastic. The figurine is often replaced by a whole almond as well. The person who ends up with the figurine- or almond-stuffed roll gets to be 'king' for the day and decide on the day's activities.
While the cake recipes for each of the cultures differ, the tradition is more or less the same.
What is the King's Cake tradition?
The idea of a King's cake originated in the Roman Empire, where they celebrated the farming god Saturn was celebrated with a cake containing a bean hidden in the cake. Eventually, northern countries borrowed the premises of this festival and combined it with the Christian Three King's Day to create a new tradition. The King's Cake tradition then spread all over the world.
While nowadays, the bean is usually replaced by either a king figurine, a baby Jesus figurine, dried fruit, or a whole almond, depending on which country it's celebrated in, the tradition is a fun way to start into the new year.
In Switzerland, the person who finds the king figurine or almond gets to decide on the activities for that day, aka gets to be king. To me, it's a very fun-filled way to end the Christmas season, a time that can feel depressing for some people.
Ingredients for Dreikönigskuchen
The Swiss Three King's Cake is easy to make and you will likely already have the ingredients in your pantry.
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour for almost all of my baking and buy it in bulk at Costco.
- Yeast. I use active-dry yeast for all of my baking, as it's closest to German yeast.
- Milk. I used whole milk in this recipe, but versions with less fat work too.
- Sugar. While this King Cake recipe would be a cake in Germany and Switzerland, it likely would qualify as bread in America because there is a relatively low amount of sugar in it.
- Butter. I always use grass-fed butter and think it does make a difference in taste.
- Eggs. There is one whole egg in the dough and one egg yolk needed for the egg wash before baking.
- Raisins. The raisins help to add sweetness. If you're not a raisin fan, try replacing them with chocolate chips.
- A whole almond. Don't forget to add the whole almond in one of the rolls. The person who finds it in their roll gets to be 'king' for the day.
- Sliced almonds. I like to use them to decorate the top of the cake.
- Pearl sugar. While it's traditional to use it for decorating the top of the Dreikönigskuchen, the kids used mine up when we made Weckmänner a few weeks ago and I haven't gotten around to ordering more. It's called Swedish pearl sugar in the United States and one box does last for a couple of years in our family and we like using it for making Hefekranz and Hefezopf.
Is Dreiköningskuchen popular in Germany?
The Swiss Dreikönigskuchen seems to also be popular in southern Germany, but I did not grow up with it.
January 6th, Three King's Day is when the tree comes down in Germany and when the Christmas season is officially over. Instead of eating a King's cake, we have Sternsinger (star singers) come by our home in Germany. They are three kids dressed up as the three kings, sing a Christmas song, and 'bless' the home with a chalk writing on the door frame. The Sternsinger collect funds for a charitable cause.
I adore the Swiss tradition for its light-heartedness and for bringing extra fun to a month that can otherwise feel blue for a lot of people. While Germans don't have a traditional Dreikönigskuchen, they do bake a lot during the Christmas season, especially Plätzchen, German Christmas cookies and the German fruit-and-nut-bread called Stollen.
Dreikönigskuchen (Three Kings Day Cake)
Equipment
- 1 Pastry Brush for brushing on the egg wash
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 250 milliliters milk luke warm
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 75 grams butter room temperature
- 7 grams salt
- 14 grams active-dry yeast 2 pouches
- 1 egg size US large
- 200 grams raisins Don't like raisins? Use chocolate chips!
- 1 whole almond skin off or on, to hide in one of the rolls BEFORE baking
Toppings
- 1 egg yolk size US large
- 1 tablespoon milk
- sliced almonds
- pearl sugar While this sugar is traditional to ad, it is harder to find in the United States, so feel free to leave it off like I did in the pictures.
Instructions
Make Dough
- Stir together the yeast with barely warm milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes to bubble up or 'bloom.'14 grams active-dry yeast, 250 milliliters milk
- Combine the flour, egg, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and yeast-milk mixture and knead until you end up with a smooth dough that peels away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add just a touch more flour. Add in the raisins and knead for one more minute or until combined.Cover the dough airtight and allow for it to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will have at least doubled in size. This extended, initial rising time will help to develop delicious flavor as well.500 grams all-purpose flour, 75 grams granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 75 grams butter, 7 grams salt, 1 egg, 200 grams raisins
Shape and Decorate
- Shape the dough into a long, even thickness log. Cut off one third and shape it into one large roll for the center. Cut the remaining dough into 8 equal pieces and shape 8 smaller rolls to surround the center roll.To shape, place the roll in one palm, then using your working hand, pull dough from the top of the roll and fold it underneath the roll. This way, all seams will end up on the bottom of the roll, while the top has a smooth finish.Hide one whole almond in one of the rolls surrounding the center roll. Traditionally, this is a king-shaped figurine, but it's also common to use whole almonds instead.1 whole almond
- Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and allow about a one inch gap between all of the rolls. Cover with a clean linen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes .
- In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit (180° Celsius).
- One the final rising time is complete, whisk together one egg yolk and milk, then brush onto the rolls. Sprinkle on almond slices and pearl sugar (if using).1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon milk, sliced almonds, pearl sugar
Bake & Eat
- Bake on the middle rack for about 30 minutes, and cover with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before eating and top with a paper crown (we made ours from craft paper and glitter) when serving.The person who ends up with the figurine/almond in the roll gets to be 'king' for the day and rule that day's activities.
dirndlkitchen
I hope you love my Dreikönigskuchen as much as we do and that you will consider celebrating this Swiss tradition with your family as well! 🙂 If you make it, I'd love to know what you think of it in the comments!