Portuguese king cake Recipe | Food From Portugal (2024)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Ingredients
• How to make (step-by-step with photos)
• Tips
• You may also like
• Recipe video
• Portuguese king cake
• Nutrition facts

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE

Here you'll find all the ingredients needed to make this recipe:

• All-purpose flour - Gives consistency and is the base of the dough.
• Dry baker’s yeast - Rising agent.
• Water - To make the cake dough.
• Granulated sugar - To sweeten and flavor.
• Cinnamon powder - Adds aroma and flavour to the cake.
• Lemon zest - Adds a nice fresh flavor.
• Eggs - Provides structure and moisture.
• Port wine - Adds an extra flavor to the recipe.
• Margarine - Makes the cake soft and tastier.
• Candied fruit and dried fruit - To garnish the top of the cake. Adds flavor and color.
• Powdered sugar - To garnish the cake.

Below you’ll find the correct measurement of all ingredients and the step-by-step guide for this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE PORTUGUESE KING CAKE

Step 1: In a bowl, pour the flour and the baker’s yeast and mix with your hands.

Step 2: Add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and mix well. Pour the water, eggs, Port wine, margarine and knead with your hands until a compact mixture.

Step 3: Place the dough on a table (preferably wooden) sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and knead it well until it’s fully involved and soft (go sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary).

Step 4: When this process is completed, let the dough rise in a bowl covered with cling film about 1 hour.

Step 5: Remove the cling film and mix the dried fruit and the candied fruit in the dough.

Step 6: Place the dough in a table sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and knead it some more.

Step 7: Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and give it a rounded shape with a hole in the middle. Cover with cling film and let the the dough rest for 1 hour.

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Step 9: Whisk an egg in a bowl. Remove the cling film and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Garnish with candied fruit, dried fruit and powdered sugar.Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Step 10: Remove the cake from oven and let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar and serve.

TIPS FOR PORTUGUESE KING CAKE

1. Place the oven rack in the middle. This allows the hot air to circulate evenly around the batter, resulting in even cooking.

2. Never open the oven door while the cake is baking. The kitchen temperature is always lower than the oven temperature, what will happen is that the oven temperature will drop and the risk of the cake sinks in the middle increases.

3. The first thing to do before taking the cake out of the oven, is to stick a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it's dry, it's cooked. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for another 5 minutes.

4. Do not open the oven door all the way, leave the door open about 10 to 15 centimeters (4 inches to 6 inches) and wait another 5 or 10 minutes so that the heat enters the kitchen and there is no temperature shock that causes the cake to collapse (the time depends on the season of the year, if it is summer leave it for about 5 minutes, if it is winter 10 minutes).

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

• Chocolate Christmas cookies
• French toast "Portuguese style"
• Rice pudding
• Portuguese orange doughnuts
• Christmas trunk
• Christmas biscuits
• Creamy rice pudding
• Portuguese lemon doughnuts
• Portuguese vermicelli pudding
• Portuguese carrot doughnuts

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If you like making homemade cakes, prepare this delicious and traditional Portuguese king cake for your family on Christmas Day.

Category:Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Recipes, Traditional Portuguese recipes, Videos

Cuisine: Portuguese

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 18 slices

Prep Time:

40 m

Cook Time:

40 m

Total Time:

3:20 h

Ingredients

• 375 grams (2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dry baker’s yeast
• 75 ml (1/3 cup) water
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Port wine
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) margarine to room temperature
• 75 grams (2 2/3 ounces) candied fruit
• 75 grams (2 2/3 ounces) dried fruit
• 1 medium egg for brushing
• Candied fruit and dried fruit for garnish (about 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces))
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for garnish

Directions

1. In a bowl, pour the flour and the baker’s yeast and mix with your hands.
2. Add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and mix well. Pour the water, eggs, Port wine, margarine and knead with your hands until a compact mixture.
3. Place the dough on a table (preferably wooden) sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and knead it well until it’s fully involved and soft (go sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary).
4. When this process is completed, let the dough rise in a bowl covered with cling film about 1 hour.
5. Remove the cling film and mix the dried fruit and the candied fruit in the dough.
6. Place the dough in a table sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and knead it some more.
7. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and give it a rounded shape with a hole in the middle. Cover with cling film and let the the dough rest for 1 hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
9. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Remove the cling film and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Garnish with candied fruit, dried fruit and powdered sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
10. Remove the cake from oven and let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar and serve.

Portuguese king cake

Nutrition facts

Serves 18 slices

Per Serving:

% DAILY VALUE

Calories 143

Total Fat 3 g(5%)

Saturated Fat 0.5 g(3%)

Cholesterol 27 mg(9%)

Sodium 37 mg(2%)

Total Carbohydrate 25 g(8%)

Protein 3 g

Food From Portugal was created with the aim of promoting Portuguese food to all corners of the world. Here you can find a little of everything, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, typical Portuguese food, quick and easy recipes and much more.

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