Rosca de Reyes-Three Kings Cake

We took down the Christmas tree, wreath, and other decorations to mark Epiphany. This year, we baked a Mexican Three Kings cake called, Rosca de Reyes. This is a new-to-me recipe, as I typically bake a rice-flour version. This is really a coffeecake. The recipe makes two rings, but I went ahead, and baked it as a tall, single cake. I did not bake a dried bean into the cake, but I may wrap one in parchment and cut a small incision to hide one before serving.

Recipe from Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book.

You Will Need:

5 1/2 teaspoons granulated yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup lard (I used vegetable shortening)
3 large eggs
4 cups plain flour
2 cups candied fruits or raisins
Butter for brushing the loaf
1 cup icing sugar
water
candied fruit to decorate

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and let stand until foamy. Meanwhile, bring milk, sugar, salt, and lard to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool to lukewarm. Combine the yeast with the cooled milk mixture, and stir in the beaten eggs. Add two cups of the flour, and beat well by hand (I used a wooden spoon). Add the fruit, and the remaining flour mixing until the flour is absorbed. Cover the bowl, and let rise until doubled-about 1 hour.

Butter 1 or 2 ring pans. Shape dough into a log, and place carefully in pan(s). Make sure ends are pinched together. Cover, and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 25-30 (mine took about 45) minutes or until golden, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a rack, brush with butter (you can melt it and brush it on, but I just take a stick and rub it on the bread). Cool on rack. When cold, glaze with icing sugar and water (or milk, or cream) and decorate with candied fruits, etc. I made 3 small crowns from index cards and gold candy wrapping foil.