Bolo-Rei or King Cake (sometimes King’s Cake) is the king of the Christmas Cakes, but it is also a centerpiece in many other traditional parties in Portugal. This cake is a tradition in Portugal, and it is a “mandatory” presence at many Portuguese parties, namely at Christmas, New Year, King’s Day, and Easter.
In this article, we will explore what is the Bolo Rei, its history, and the various types of bolo rei that have emerged – from the original to the most recent deconstructed cakes with different fillings.
History of the King Cake
Bolo Rei is an indispensable presence in the Christmas in Portugal, but its origin is not Portugal but France. The Bolo Rei was created at the court of Louis XIV of France to celebrate the New Year and the King’s Day.
Bolo Rei first appeared in Portugal at the Confeitaria Nacional in Lisbon in 1869-1870, made by Frenchman Gregoire. This pastry chef adapted the recipe from the south of the Loire for the crown-shaped king cake with yeast dough. From then on, the king cake spread through Lisbon and the country, became appreciated by all Portuguese, and was cooked in other Portuguese pastry shops.
With the establishment of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, attempts were made to change the name to Christmas cake or New Year’s cake. Sometimes, as a parody, it was called the ex-bolo rei, or “the former king cake.” All this because the new republican regime did not welcome the existence of a cake called bolo-rei, with such a monarchical connotation.
Currently, the tradition of the king cake is fully established, and no one calls it any other name. It is a dessert cherished by Portuguese families and is not missed on the main feast days: Christmas, New Year, Kings, and Easter.
King cake is also traditional in Spain, where the recipe is only slightly different from the Portuguese version. In France, its country of origin, there is the so-called Gâteau des Rois, made with brioche dough and is traditional in the south of France, and the Galette des Rois is made with puff pastry, more traditional in the Paris region.
Bolo Rei / King Cake Tradition
Traditionally, the bolo rei is a dried and candied fruit cake. It is shaped like a crown, round with a hole in the middle. It is made of sweet dough leavened with a bit of port wine.
In the past, they put a bean and a small gift in the cake dough. Placing the bean in the cake dates back to the Roman Empire. During the celebrations of Saturnalia (festival in honor of Saturn), the Romans put a bean in a round pie. Whoever found the bean was elected the king of the party. The tradition was maintained, and whoever found the bean in the bolo rei was the king of the party and had to pay for the next year’s bolo rei.
As for the gift, it was also customary to put small porcelain or metal gifts. The gift was typically a metallic object with different shapes, such as animals, characters, and plants/vegetables, and the children especially desired it. Due to food safety rules imposed by the EU, it is forbidden to put the gift and the bean inside the cake.
Over time, there were also several variations of the king cake, such as the Queen cake, the deconstructed king cake, and king cakes with chocolate, soft eggs, and even apples. Let’s explore the most popular types of king cakes below.
Types of King Cake
Traditional King Cake
The traditional Bolo Rei, or king cake, is the original cake that is almost mandatory on Christmas tables. The typical Bolo Rei has a round shape with a hole in the middle. It’s made with sweet yeast dough, lemon and orange zest, and a little port wine. The King Cake has candied fruit and nuts in the dough, and at the end, it is decorated with candied fruit and powdered sugar.
The best king cakes are made in pastry shops or at home and, if possible, should be eaten on the day of production. Although they have a dense dough, they are well-filled with nuts and candied fruit and should be moist and fluffy. Note: King Cakes may have a mild flavor of port wine, but this should be very light.
Every year, the Association of Commerce and Industry of Bakery Pastry and Similars holds “contests for “The Best Bolo-R” in Portugal. A panel of judges chooses the best Bolo-Rei in Portugal and its variants, such as Bolo Rainha or Bolo Rei escangalhado.
Queen Cake or Bolo Rainha
Bolo Rainha is a more recent version of Bolo-Rei. It’s the same as Bolo-Rei, but it doesn’t have candied fruit. It is the ideal cake if you don’t like the typical candied fruit of the king cakes.
The Bolo-Rainha should also have a dense, moist, and fluffy dough but should also be abundant in nuts (raisins, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and, if you’re lucky, pine nuts).
Chocolate King Cake
This is the ideal cake for chocolate lovers. This cake is made with the same type of sweet dough as the previous ones, with port wine, lemon, and orange zest, but instead of using candied fruit, we use chocolate pieces and decorate it with chocolate chips. Chocolate King Cakes have mixed nuts like walnuts and hazelnuts, which go very well with chocolate.
Other versions of the Chocolate King Cake are filled with melted chocolate paste instead of pieces of chocolate. The sweet yeast dough is made, then rolled out in a large rectangle and covered with the chocolate paste. Roll the cake as if it were a pie and join the ends to form a ring shape. It is simply divine.
King Cake with sweet eggs
Bolo-Rei com Ovos Moles (sweet eggs king cake) is similar to the chocolate king cake, but instead of the cake being filled with chocolate, it is filled with typical Portuguese sweet eggs. The dough is made the same way; it is then rolled out into a rectangle and stuffed with sweet eggs and egg strands. The dough has to be rolled like a pie, and then the ends of the cake are joined to get the shape of a ring. As you can imagine, it’s lovely.
This version of Bolo-Rei is more difficult to find in bakeries, but when you see it, seize the opportunity or make it at home. Here is one delicious recipe suggestion.
Braided King Cake or Christmas Braid (trança de natal)
The Braided King cake or Christmas Braid is a variation of the traditional Bolo-Rei. What varies in this version is that the king cake is braided and can be joined in the form of a ring, being a braided king cake, or it can only be in the form of a braid, being a Christmas braid.
To make this Bolo-Rei, cut the dough in half or three parts and make a braid. The dough can be filled with nuts, candied fruit, soft eggs, chocolate, or other imaginative fillings like apples, raisins, or cinnamon. It is a delicious version and tends to be moister when it has stuffing.
Deconstructed King Cake or Bolo-rei escangalhado
Bolo-Rei Escancalhado is the latest version of Bolo-rei, sometimes has a rectangular shape others it is shapeless. This version of Bolo-Rei does not have candied fruit; it usually has nuts, gila jam, and a pastry cream filling. But as with all versions of Bolo-Rei, the filling can vary, with egg and chocolate candy versions, for example.
To make this cake, you have to spread the dough in the shape of a rectangle, roll it like a pie, cut it into slices, and then assemble it, giving a torn-up effect. This cake is a delight, and it is a good version for those who don’t usually like the traditional Bolo-Rei since it is more humid and can have some interesting fillings instead of the traditional ones.
If you like Portuguese pastry, see also:
- Best sweets in Portugal (pastry sweets)
- Best desserts in Portugal (Typical restaurant desserts)
- Christmas desserts in Portugal
- Conventual Sweets in Portugal
- What is the difference between Pastel de Nata and Pastel de Belém?
- Typic Christmas dishes in Portugal
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