King's Cake (casca de Reyes)

I’m fascinated by all the classic, traditional preparations, even those with an old-fashioned or vintage look. I think they have a distinctive elegance that makes them hard to ignore. Among the wide variety of typical sweets for this time of year, this year you can’t miss making the Casca de Reis, the typical Valencian Christmas sweet that should be on the table on Epiphany.

The Casca dels Reis or Casca de Reis is the ancestor of the popular Roscón de Reyes. It’s a typical Christmas sweet from Valencian cuisine (also from Mallorcan cooking). A preparation made from marzipan with a filling that is usually made with sweet potato, pumpkin or candied egg yolk. Depending on who makes it, cinnamon, meringue or grated lemon or orange zest can also be added to the filling.

Casca de reis are usually presented in the shape of a snake or ring, imitating the shape of a wreath. There is a tradition that godparents give a casca to their godchildren on Epiphany so they can share it with the whole family.

The size of the casca de reis was related to the age of the child receiving it.

Origin of the Casca de Reis.

It seems this custom or tradition is of Moorish heritage, given the main ingredients used, especially almond and sweet potato.

Its origins possibly go back long before the arrival of Jaime I, although it’s from the creation of the Christian Kingdom of Valencia that the tradition of godparents gifting the Casca to their godchildren on Epiphany gains strength.

The arrival of the book «Llibre de Coch», the first cookbook printed in Valencian in 1520, was the first written record of a casca recipe, its preparation remaining unchanged for centuries, where probably from the 18th century it became associated with the Three Wise Men and finally consolidated as the traditional sweet for that date up to the present day.

Even back then, Roís de Corella and Jaume Roig referred to the sweet in some of their works. They mentioned the link between this sweet and the figure of the Three Wise Men around the 18th century, while in the 70s and 80s it began to compete with the Tortell de Reis.

Sometimes, the Casca dels Reis can be decorated or accompanied with chocolates or small details around it like nuts, candied fruit...

Until not long ago and before the Roscón became known for Epiphany in these lands, after the Cavalcade children would leave three glasses of mistela and sweets on the table for the Three Wise Men, as well as carob and water for their horses. The next day the children would see that the kings had eaten and drunk what was offered and, in return, they would leave the Casca next to the empty glasses and plates for the little ones.

Unfortunately, this tradition began to die out in 1899, although today there are certain towns that keep the casca as a tradition over the Roscón de Reyes. One of those interested in recovering this tradition is the Gremio De Maestros Confiteros De Valencia.

We must not confuse the casca with the pastisset de moniato or casqueta, since these are much smaller.

Although it may seem like a complicated preparation, it only requires a bit of time. We’ll prepare homemade marzipan, without egg white—I much prefer this result, and it also makes the recipe suitable for everyone—a candied sweet potato filling flavored with lemon and cinnamon and, finally, small decorations with royal icing.

Recipe for Casca de Reis

Ingredients

For the marzipan

• 375 g ground almond
• 225 g powdered sugar
• 24 g honey
• 65-75 g water
• 1 beaten egg for brushing, before baking

For the candied sweet potato

• 500 g roasted sweet potato
• 350 g sugar
• zest of one lemon
• ground cinnamon to taste

For the royal icing

• 15 g egg whites
• 100 g powdered sugar
• drops of lemon juice
• 2 small round gold sprinkles for the eyes (optional)

Preparation

FIRST DAY

Prepare the marzipan

1. In a large bowl mix the ground almond with the powdered sugar, honey and water. Remember to add the latter little by little so as not to exceed the final hydration of the marzipan.
2. Start mixing the ingredients with a silicone spatula. Once it begins to take on a more solid consistency, move it to a work surface and mix with your hands.
3. Knead very well until achieving a uniform, smooth and manageable consistency.
4. Shape into a cylinder, wrap well in cling film and let rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Prepare the candied sweet potato

1. Sweet potatoes can be used roasted or boiled. In my case I chose to roast them because they acquire a sweeter, more caramelized flavor.
2. Once the sweet potato has cooled, remove the skin and chop. Add the sweet potato to a bowl and mix with the sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon.
3. We must mix until homogeneous. You’ll see the mixture become slightly wet and runny; this is due to adding sugar, since it’s hygroscopic (it attracts ambient moisture). It’s fine.
4. Pour the mixture into a medium pot, place over medium-low heat and cook for 60-75 minutes stirring occasionally. We must reduce the hydration of the mixture until achieving a spreadable paste that we can pipe without it losing shape.
5. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until the next day.
6. NOTE: If after cooling the candied sweet potato you see the mixture still needs to reduce hydration a bit more to maintain piping consistency, put it back on the heat to evaporate a little more water.

SECOND DAY

Form the casca de Reis

1. Take ⅔ of the marzipan, around 460 g, and form a cylinder about 58 cm long. If you notice the marzipan sticking to the work surface, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on it; this will help prevent sticking.
2. Once you have the cylinder, start creating a central hollow along the piece. We’ll simulate a channel where we can place the candied sweet potato. Make the head of the snake slightly wider and the tail area much thinner.
3. Place the candied sweet potato into a piping bag and pipe it into the marzipan cavity. If you wish, you can smooth the surface of the filling a bit with a spatula.
4. Roll out the remaining marzipan to the same length as the cylinder. With this piece, we’ll create the base of the casca.
5. Place the marzipan over the sweet potato filling and seal the seams well. Carefully roll the piece to give it a slightly rounded finish.
6. Place the casca de Reis on a perforated tray lined with a silpat or baking mat.
7. Shape it into a spiral.
8. If any area cracks slightly, moisten your fingertip with water and gently rub the area. The marzipan will join and you’ll achieve a perfect finish.
9. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

THIRD DAY

Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 270ºC with top and bottom heat. If your oven can’t reach that temperature, preheat to its maximum.
2. Brush the entire surface of the Casca de Reis with beaten egg.
3. Place in the oven at mid-height and bake for 5 minutes.
4. Turn on the grill and leave for 2-3 more minutes.
5. Remove and let cool completely on a rack.

Prepare the royal icing

1. In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar with the egg whites and a few drops of lemon juice.
2. We must achieve a piping consistency.
3. Place into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. If you don’t have one, make a very small cut at the tip of the bag.
4. Decorate the Casca de Reis to your liking.
5. Important, decorate it with the icing once it has cooled completely. We can place two small round gold or silver sprinkles to simulate eyes, attaching them with royal icing.
6. Finally, if desired, fill the central cavity with candied fruit, nuts, chocolates of your choice. In my case I used dried figs and chocolate-covered raisins.
7. Serve.

NOTES

• This time I made the marzipan using almond, powdered sugar, honey and water. On other occasions I use egg white, but both methods give very good results.
• The quality of the ground almond is very important. Not only for flavor, but for the final texture. If it’s low quality, the almond will be very dry and the dough will need more water. If the almond is better quality, it will need less water. For that reason, add this ingredient little by little.
• The resting time for the marzipan is necessary for its maturation, don’t skip it.
• If we use a good baking tray, we’ll avoid the base of the marzipan burning. In my case I use this bandeja perforada DeBuyer.
• Cooking time should not be exceeded because we risk drying the marzipan out too much. If your oven doesn’t brown the surface, reduce the baking time and use the grill to achieve a golden finish on the eel.
• If you want to make a smaller casca de Reis, you’ll just need to reduce quantities according to how many ingredients you want to use.
• The baking time will be the same for any size.
• Royal icing can be made with egg white, albumin or with a royal icing mix, whichever you prefer. If you want to make it without egg, you can make it with powdered sugar and water.
• Decoration with icing can be entirely up to you. In my case I’ve given this presentation suggestion.
• It can be kept refrigerated, wrapped well in cling film, for 1 week.

Some time ago I made the famous marzipan eel and I had been planning to make the famous Casca de Reis. I should have done it earlier. Homemade marzipan, in my humble opinion, has nothing to do with what you buy at a supermarket or supermarket chain. And the candied sweet potato filling is an otherworldly delight.

I think it’s an absolute delight, with a flavor that takes us straight to the Christmas season. I hope you like it and enjoy it as much as we did at home

We can’t wait to hear about your experience!

Sources: Turrones y Dulces, Valencia Bonita