Dreikönigskuchen Gâteau des Rois

On Epiphany, January 6, it’s traditional to eat a Dreikönigskuchen, known as Couronne des rois in French and corona dei re magi in Italian. This holiday celebrates the three kings finally reaching Bethlehem, so a small plastic king figurine (or whole almond) is baked into the bread. Whoever finds it is king for the day!

The tradition of hiding a token in baked goods is a long one, and similar customs exist all over Europe. The Swiss version has a clear origin–br