A cake fit for a king or queen: Vancouver pastry chefs present galette des rois

The dessert has a long history in Epiphany celebrations

By Gail Johnson

Buttermere Pâtisserie is offering two versions of galette des rois, one with traditional frangipane filling. Photo by Leila Kwok

JANUARY 6 IS Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas and one of the oldest and most important festivals on the Christian calendar, after Christmas and Easter. Also known as Three Kings Day, it marks the day the wise men visited infant Jesus. It’s also associated with a regally sweet culinary tradition.

Galette des rois, or king’s cake, traditionally consists of two layers of flaky puff pastry and a frangipane filling. In a French custom going back to the 14th century, a fève, or bean, is baked inside: whoever finds the charm in their slice is crowned king or queen for the day. Ritual also holds that an extra, symbolic piece of cake be cut for an unexpected guest or a poor person who may pass by. The gorgeous dessert usually comes with a golden paper crown, while modern times have swapped the bean for a plastic trinket (which some people collect over the years).

Buttermere’s tieguanyin galette des rois. Photo by Leila Kwok

Buttermere Pâtisserie’s Jamie Tung is baking two versions of the royal cake. One has the traditional sweet-almond filling, while the pastry chef puts her own spin on the other, with tieguanyin. A full-bodied, floral oolong tea, tieguanyin has a subtle caramel flavour.

“Vancouver has a vibrant and diverse community, so by also offering a non-traditional option for what would otherwise be a classic galette des rois, my hope is to entice cultural exploration and education while enjoying delightful indulgences,” Tung says.

Buttermere’s galettes des rois ($42) are available until January 31. (Some people celebrate Epiphany with a king’s cake every Friday until Lent.) Cakes can be pre-ordered online and picked up at 958 Main Street (inside Torafuku) Thursdays through Sundays.

L’Atelier Patisserie.

Elsewhere in Vancouver, L’Atelier Pâtisserie (260 East 5th Avenue) is offering classic galette des rois, best served warm. Born in Southern France, chef Franck Buiron fell in love with baking as a child, spending time in his grandparents’ kitchen. He trained with French pastry chefs in his home country and around the globe before coming to Vancouver. L’Atelier’s frangipane cakes are $35 and can be ordered here for pickup Friday through Sunday until January 31.

Best Kind Bakeshop.

Best Kind Bakeshop chef Mark Burton, whom we introduced to Vancouver as the maker of the city’s most famous stollen, is baking the cakes fit for royalty. With almond and vanilla cream, the East Van virtual bakery’s galette des rois goes for $28 and can be ordered online.

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