Chocolate Hazelnut Roscón de Reyes
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
Recipe Intro From lisathompson
Also known as Spanish Kings Cake, this special dessert is enjoyed once a year in Spain, Mexico, and Latin American countries around January 6th to celebrate The Epiphany. For this chocolate hazelnut version, you'll bake a sweet brioche-like dough into a wreath shape, then split it in half and pipe with lots of cocoa whipped cream and a generous drizzle of chocolate hazelnut spread. Candied citrus and cherries often adorn this beloved treat, and traditional versions can contain a hidden figurine of baby Jesus for lucky eaters to try to find.
- Recipe Card
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (2 ¼ teaspoon) package active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, if using
- Pearl sugar or turbinado sugar
- Chopped toasted hazelnuts, for garnish
ingredients
To assemble
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, divided
- Chopped toasted hazelnuts
- Candied cherries
- Candied or fresh orange, cut into small pieces
- 3 cups whipped cream
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 vanilla bean
Method
Step 1
Heat milk, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is fully melted. Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly, then pour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Step 2
Add the yeast and 1 whole egg plus one egg yolk to the bowl (reserve the egg white for later.) Stir on low speed until eggs are beaten, then add flour, salt, and orange zest. Stir on low speed until no patches of flour remain, then increase speed to medium-low and knead for 5 minutes. Test dough after by performing the “windowpane test.” Break off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it outward with your fingers. The dough should hold together and create a thin sheet (that’s the windowpane!) If dough tears easily, continue to mix on medium-low speed for another 3-5 minutes and perform the test again.
Step 3
Lightly grease a bowl with butter and transfer dough to bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until dough has risen by about ⅓ to ½ its original size.
Step 4
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer dough to parchment. Poke a finger all the way through the center of the dough, then carefully stretch and pull the dough to create a large donut shape about 2 ½-inches thick. Lightly cover dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap to rise for about 45 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Step 6
Brush risen dough with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with pearl sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown and when bread sounds hollow when tapped with a finger. Let cool completely. To assemble, whip cream, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round or fluted tip. (Note: you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off if you don’t have piping tips)
Step 7
Carefully slice the cooled bread in half horizontally and spread about 2 ½ tablespoons of chocolate hazelnut spread onto the bottom half. Transfer remaining chocolate hazelnut spread to a piping bag fitted with a small round or fluted tip (or a small zip-top bag with a small corner cut off).
Step 8
Pipe whipped cream in a decorative pattern around the edges of the bottom half, then fill empty space with more whipped cream, reserving some for the top. Pipe a drizzle of more Nutella over the whipped cream, then gently lay the top half of the bread overtop, pressing lightly to adhere.
Step 9
Pipe rosettes or swirls of more whipped cream atop the bread (it often helps to picture a clock face when piping to apply rosettes evenly and delineate serving portions. Pipe a rosette at 12 o’clock and then 6 o’clock; 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, then add additional rosettes in between the gaps to make a total of 8 rosettes.) Top each rosette with a candied cherry and a slice of candied or fresh orange. Pipe more chocolate hazelnut spread in between the whipped cream rosettes.
Step 10
Slice and serve the chocolate hazelnut roscón de reyes or refrigerate until about an hour before serving, up to 24 hours in advance.