Want to celebrate Día de los Reyes Magos with an amazing homemade roscón de reyes? This easy recipe walks you through each step for success, and you'll enjoy each bite of this light and fluffy orange-flavored sweet bread!
Want to try other Epiphany desserts? Don't miss these recipes for Mexican rosca de reyes and American king cake.
About
Every January 6, Spain celebrates Día de los Reyes Magos, known in English as Epiphany. This holiday is marked by parades and celebrations commemorating the wise men who gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus after traveling from the East. It's one of the highlights of the year in Spain, since it marks the end of the Christmas season, and is the day that Spanish children receive their gifts from the wise men.
The roscón de reyes is made in a wreath shape to symbolize God's love for the world and to resemble a royal crown decorated with jewels. A baby figurine is hidden inside of the roscón de reyes to symbolize Jesus hiding from King Herod. Whoever finds the Jesus figurine in his piece gets to be king for the day. A broad bean is also hidden in the roscón, and whoever finds that in their piece has to either pay for this year's roscón or make one for next year's celebration.
Why This Recipe Works
- It uses traditional ingredients. The dough is flavored with orange blossom water for a delicate floral taste, and is decorated with traditional dried fruits to give it a jewel-like effect.
- It's made with bread flour. The higher protein content in this type of flour creates more gluten in the dough, giving the roscón de reyes a higher rise and better texture.
- It's kneaded properly. Checking the dough with the windowpane test ensures that the gluten has been built up enough to create the high rise and light texture desired.
- It's proved long enough. A slow first rise (fermentation) creates a great flavor in the dough, while a long second rise prevents a doughy, stodgy roscón de reyes and improves the texture.
- It's baked well. Stacking the tray of roscón on top of an empty tray insulates the base, preventing it from burning. Checking the loaf's internal temperature ensures that it's neither underbaked or overbaked.
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make your own roscón de reyes? Here's a look at some of the key ingredients for this Spanish Epiphany loaf.
- Bread Flour: Using strong flour is very important in this recipe, as its higher protein content creates more gluten in the dough. This is vital if you want to achieve a good rise and light, fluffy texture.
- Orange Blossom Water: This flavoring (affiliate) has a delicate floral essence, and is the traditional flavoring for the dough. You can substitute with 4 teaspoons of orange extract if you can't get orange blossom water, but I'd only recommend that in a pinch.
- Citrus Zest: Freshly grated zest of orange and lemon flavors the dough with a delicate aroma.
- Decorations: A traditional decoration is made from pearl sugar or granulated sugar, red and green glacé cherries, candied orange slices, and sliced almonds. Feel free to change up the dried fruits or nuts to your preference.
- Filling: Although the filling is optional, it adds a lovely flavor and lightness to the finished loaf. Chantilly cream or pastry cream are popular options, and some even like a chocolate cream filling.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Flavorings: If you'd like, add 2 tablespoons of rum to the dough for extra flavor. If you can't find orange blossom water, you can substitute with 3 to 4 teaspoons of orange extract in a pinch. Just be careful, not to add too much as orange extract can be artificial in it's taste.
- Filling: You can fill the bread with crème Chantilly (sweetened whipped cream) or crème pâtissière (pastry cream). Feel free to use chocolate whipped cream or crème pâtissière if you like.
- Dairy Free: Use vegan butter or solid coconut oil in place of the butter, and use your favorite plant-based milk. Use coconut cream in the Chantilly cream.
- Vegan: Use the dairy free suggestions above, and also swap the eggs in the dough for mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. Use vegan egg wash as well.
How to Make Roscón de Reyes
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. (image 1)
- Add the sugar, eggs, butter, orange blossom water, and citrus zest and mix until combined. (image 2)
- Gradually add the warm milk to form a slightly sticky dough. (image 3)
- Knead with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes on low speed, or until the dough passes the windowpane test. See the recipe card for a description of this technique. (image 4)
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until it's nearly doubled in size, about 2 hours. (image 5)
- Punch it down and shape into a ball. Poke a hole in the center and shape it into a wreath, then place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (image 6)
- Cover the loaf and let it rise until it's springy to the touch and almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. Brush with beaten egg and decorate with dried fruit, nuts, and sugar. Homemade candied orange slices are divine and are definitely worth making. (image 7)
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes, or until the roscón de reyes has an internal temperature of 190°F. Let it cool completely on a wire rack, about 45-60 minutes. (image 8)
- If desired, slice it in half lengthwise and pipe Chantilly cream onto the bottom half in decorative swirls. This is a great time to hide the baby Jesus figurine and the dried bean in the roscón de reyes. Just remember to tell your guests, so they don't break a tooth. (image 9)
- Place the top of the bread back on, slice, and enjoy! (image 10)
Recipe FAQs
It is literally translated as "wreath of kings," but can also mean "king's cake" in English.
This Spanish sweet bread is split in half lengthwise and filled with crème Chantilly (sweetened whipped cream) or crème pâtissière (pastry cream). A figurine of baby Jesus and a dried bean are hidden inside the roscón de reyes for eaters to find. Whoever finds the figurine gets crowned king for the day, and whoever gets the bean has to pay for the roscón.
A Roscón de Reyes is made of yeast bread dough flavored with orange that's shaped into a wreath. It can be decorated with a wide variety of dried fruits, nuts, and sugar to look like a king's crown.
Roscón de Reyes is a Spanish sweet bread with a brioche-like texture and subtle orange flavor, and it's decorated with candied fruit, nuts, and sugar to look like a king's crown. It's served the night before or on the morning of Día de los Reyes.
Serve
The roscón de reyes is typically served on the evening before or on the morning of Día de los Reyes. It's sliced into large chunks, and each guest looks to see if their piece contains the dried bean or Jesus figurine! Serve it with Spanish hot chocolate, which is thicker than American hot chocolate. Make sure to try other Spanish baked goods and breakfast dishes to round out your Día de Los Reyes celebration!
Expert Tips
- Adjust the orange blossom water to your taste. You can also add 2 tablespoons of rum to the dough for extra flavor.
- This heavy, brioche-style dough takes a long time to prove. Place it in a cold oven with a pan of boiling water on a lower shelf to create a warm, moist environment, which will help the yeast work faster.
- Use any dried fruit or nuts that you would like to decorate the roscón de reyes, but the orange slices are wonderful.
- Stack the tray with the roscón de reyes on top of an empty baking tray before baking. The layer of air between the two trays will insulate the base, preventing it from burning.
- The layer of piped Chantilly cream or pastry cream is popular in many Spanish bakeries, but it is optional.
Other Christmas Breads to Enjoy
Recipe
Roscón de Reyes (Spanish Kings' Cake)
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 ⅛ cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup milk, warmed to 115°F
For the Decoration
- 4 red glacé cherries
- 4 green glacé cherries
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 2 to 4 candied orange slices, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons pearl sugar, or granulated sugar
- Plastic or ceramic baby figurine
- Large dried bean
For the Chantilly Cream (Optional)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Stir each one in with your finger.
- Add the sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, orange blossom water, orange zest, lemon zest,and some of the warm milk. Stir to form a dough, then gradually add more milk as needed to form a slightly sticky dough.
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes, or by hand for 10-15 minutes. The dough should pass the windowpane test,which means you can break off a lump of dough and stretch it thin enough to be translucent without it tearing.
- Shape into a ball, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Shaping the Roscón
- Punch down the dough, then shape it into a circle. Poke a hole in the center, then shape into a ring.
- Place the loaf on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Prove until the loaf has noticeably increased in size and the dough barely springs back when prodded, about 45-60 minutes.
- While the roscón is proving, prepare the decorations. Rinse and dry the glacé cherries, then cut the candied orange slices in half. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Baking
- Once the roscón has finished proving, brush it with beaten egg and stick on the cherries and orange slices. Sprinkle the dough with sliced almonds and pearl sugar. Stack the tray with the roscón on it on top of an empty tray to insulate the base as it bakes.
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and has an internal temperature of 190°F. If needed, cover with foil towards the end to prevent over-browning.
- Let the roscón cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Decorating (Optional)
- Make the Chantilly cream by pouring the whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Once the bread is fully cooled, split the roscón in half lengthwise, then insert the baby figurine and dried bean somewhere on the bottom half of the loaf. Pipe the Chantilly cream with a star tip in decorative swirls on the bottom piece, then place the top of the loaf back on.
- Slice and enjoy the roscón! Serve with authentic Spanish hot chocolate.
Video
Notes
- The amount of orange blossom water can be adjusted to your taste. You can also add 2 tablespoons of rum to the dough for extra flavor.
- This heavy, brioche-style dough takes a long time to prove. Place it in a cold oven with a pan of boiling water on a lower shelf to create a warm, moist environment, which will help the yeast work faster.
- Use any dried fruit or nuts that you would like to decorate the roscón. The orange slices are a must.
- Stack the tray with the roscón on top of an empty baking tray before baking. The layer of air between the two trays will insulate the base, preventing it from burning.
- The layer of piped Chantilly cream is popular in many Spanish bakeries, but it is optional.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The bread is soft and chewy, and the hint of orange blossoms in it are lovely. I love the airy whipped cream in the center and the chewy cherries.
Emma
Thank you, Alex! That's great to hear!
Beth
This beautiful bread looks just like a crown! It is a very light, soft, and chewable bread. I love the cream inside and the decorations on top. A great treat on January 6th!
Emma
Thank you, Beth! I'm happy to hear that you enjoy it!