As an extra special holiday treat, bake this delicious French cake. This is a traditional French cake. The name translates to "Galette Cake," which is similar to the Carnival king Cake because it also has a little surprise hidden in the filling.

Galette is made with an irresistible creamy almond filling sandwiched between two layers of crisp, creamy pastry. All the ingredients for the almond cream are blitz in a food processor, then spread the paste over the ready-made pastry. This impressive cake is simple and easy to make. Once you've mastered this simple recipe, you can experiment with different fillings or make your own puff pastry. Pair sliced French ice cream with tea or French coffee to balance the sweetness of the cake.

When it comes to small prizes hidden in stuffing (called fève), bakeries opt for porcelain or plastic dolls. But home bakers can use dried broad beans instead. The lucky guest who finds the fève becomes the "king" or "queen" of the party and wears a paper crown. Of course, be sure to remind everyone that there is fève in the cake, otherwise, some guests may leave the party with a broken tooth. If you're making this cake for children, skip the fève for safety reasons.

The raw material

To make almond cream filling:

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup of sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cake:

17 ounces defrosted puff pastry

1 dried broad bean, optional

1 large egg, beaten well

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Steps

Make almond cream

1. Get all your materials ready.

2 Place the ground almonds, sugar, eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract and flour in the bowl of a food processor.

3. Blend into a smooth, creamy paste. Make the cream a few days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container.

The assembly of cake

1. Gather all the materials.

2 Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Roll out 2 sheets of pastry and cut into 2 (11-inch) plates. Place a disc on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the almond cream evenly, leaving about an inch around the edges.

4 If you want to add a dried broad bean or fève, you can do so at this time. Simply put it in almond cream. Brush the edge of the pastry with some beaten egg.

5 Place the second pastry pan on top of the filling and press down the edges with a fork to seal the cake.

6. Use a sharp knife to carve a decorative pattern into the top of the pastry without cutting into the almond filling. Brush the dish with the remaining beaten eggs (this will form a golden crust).

Bake a cake

1. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust the cake with icing sugar.

2. Return to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before serving.