Three Kings Cake Germany Food

THREE KINGS' CAKE (GERMANY)

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE ~ Put 1 1/2 cups of the flour (plus another 2 tablespoons of flour) into a bowl & make a hole in the middle. Into that hole put the yeast & mix it with a pinch of sugar & a bit of lukewarm milk.
• Dust the mixture with flour, then cover it with a cloth & let it rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
• Add the melted butter, salt, lemon, cardamom, 1 egg & egg white (the 2nd yolk is for another purpose), along with the remaining milk & flour, to the flour-&-yeast mixture, kneading the dough until it is smooth.
• When the dough begins to form a ball, stir in the raisins & dried fruit, then form the dough into a log.
• Cut off 1/4 of the log & divide that fourth into 4 equal parts, forming balls from each smaller part.
• Divide the ramaining log into 4 parts & form larger balls from each of those parts.
• Liberally grease a springform pan with a central tube, & place the dough into the pan, alternating large & small dough balls.
• Cover the pan & set it in a warm place so the dough will rise again.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small container beat the egg yolk to a smooth consistency.
• Brush the dough with the beaten yolk & place the filled pan in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool the cake thoroughly in the pan on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.
• FOR THE FROSTING ~ Mix the powdered sugar & lemon juice to an icing consistency (not too liquid) & ice the cake, decorating it with the cherries. In Germany, a small gold crown made of foil is often placed in the middle of the cake.

DREIKöNIGSKUCHEN / 3 KINGS' CAKE / EPIPHANY CAKE

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar, salt and lemon in a bowl.
• Melt the butter and add the cold milk.
• Dissolve yeast in water and add two teaspoons of sugar.
• Stir the eggs and add flour mix of 1.
• Knead to a soft dough.
• Add sultanas and the token and distribute them evenly in the dough.
• Tear dough apart and form six or eight pieces the size of a fist. You may form one bigger piece as the center piece of the cake. Arrange the pieces around the center piece as shown in the picture above. Place the cake on a non-stick tray.
• Let grow in a warm place until the size has doubled.
• Let cool for about one hour.
• Before baking, sweep with the yolk of an egg.
• Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes in the lower part of the pre-heated oven at about 225°C (440°F).
• Let cool and add a crown made out of paper or card.