Crown of Almudena Recipe: Madrid's Dessert for November 9th

Ingredients

🌾 650 g of strong flour
🍞 12 g dry baker’s yeast
🥚 3 eggs M
🧈 100 g of butter at room temperature
🍬 150 g of sugar
🥛 200 ml whole milk
🌸 5 ml vanilla essence
🍋 1 lemon
🍊 1 orange
🧂 1/2 teaspoon salt (4 grams)
🌰 30–40 g sliced ​​almonds, to garnish (optional)

For the filling of the Crown:
🥶 500 ml of very cold whipping cream (35% fat)
❄️ 50 g icing sugar

As November 9th approaches each year, the feast of Almudena, patron saint of Madrid, the capital’s bakeries decorate their shop windows with this local sweet that becomes more popular every year. And it is not surprising, since this pastry shaped like a ring filled with cream, custard or truffle is a delight.

It is very reminiscent of the traditional Roscón de Reyes , not only in its shape but also in its preparation method, although there are some differences in flavour, texture and ingredients. This sweet, which is only made in Madrid, does not hide any surprises inside, it does not contain orange blossom water and has a slightly more compact consistency . In this case we did not make peaks on the crown with pastry cream in the style of a Galician larpeira . And it is also usually given a bath of syrup at the end, but at home we like it just as you see in the recipe.

The history of the Corona dates back to 1978. In Madrid there were already other typical sweets, such as the rosquillas de San Isidro or the panecillos de San Antón, but none dedicated to the patron saint, so the guild of pastries decided to create a new sweet in her honour. The success of this creation was progressive; in its first years of existence few people knew about it. However, now, it is rare not to find it in the shop windows when we walk through the streets of the city.

Today we are presenting the recipe on our blog, although you can find it in around 600 bakeries in the Community of Madrid, and it is estimated that around 290,000 pieces of “Coronas de La Almudena” will be baked. Yes, 290,000, a very delicious number to celebrate this day. It is a perfect cake to share with family and friends around a large table and washed down with coffee, tea, milk or any other warm drink you like. With this recipe you will get a generously sized crown of La Almudena, the perfect excuse to organise a get-together at home.

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How to make the Crown of Almudena: Easy Recipe Step-by-step

Preparation of the Dough for the Almudena Crown

1. We heat the milk slightly, as long as it is lukewarm, it is enough, and pour it into a large, deep container.
2. Add the sugar, the butter (very soft) and the zest from the orange and lemon. Beat vigorously until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Add the dry baking yeast and two of the eggs (reserve the third to brush the crown once it is ready to go into the oven). Mix and let it rest for about five minutes.
4. Next, add the salt and the flour. Do this little by little, stirring until combined before adding more. There will come a time when the dough becomes so thick that you will need to remove it from the bowl and continue the process on a work table or counter.
5. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and silky, approximately ten minutes. If you have a food processor or mixer, don’t hesitate to use it because it will make the task much easier.
6. The amount of flour is approximate. You may need to add a little more, this is something you will see as you go. The best reference is the dough itself. It should be slightly sticky, but manageable.

Rest and crown shape

1. Form a ball with the dough and let it rest in the previous container, greased so it doesn’t stick, for an hour. Cover it with a kitchen towel so that the temperature remains as constant as possible.
2. After the first rest, remove the dough from the container, place it on a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat and shape it into a ring, making a hole in the center. Make sure the hole is big because the dough will continue to rise and if you do not make enough, it will disappear.
3. Beat the third egg that we have reserved and brush the surface of the ring with it. If you want to decorate with flaked almonds, this is the time to spread them on top. Cover again with a kitchen towel and let rise for another hour or until it doubles in size.

Baking, filling with cream and final presentation of the crown

1. Place the tray in the oven, preheated to 180º C with heat from above and below, for 25–30 minutes or until golden. Once the cooking time is over, remove the tray from the oven and let the doughnut cool completely before filling.
2. For the filling we have prepared a very simple and quick sweetened whipped cream.
3. Using an electric whisk, beat the cream (which must be very cold) with the sugar. Start at low speed and, as it thickens, increase the speed a little until you get the desired consistency. Be careful not to overbeat the cream because it could curdle and turn into butter.
4. We put the sweetened whipped cream into a pastry bag with a star nozzle and fill the crown, which we have previously cut in half widthwise. If we are not going to eat it immediately, we keep it in the fridge so that the cream does not spoil and thicken.

Tips for a perfect Almudena crown

• As with other sweet bread or pastry recipes, patience is essential in the equation. You must respect the dough’s resting times so that it rises properly, becomes fluffy and results in a delicious and tender dessert.
• The temperature affects the rising time. The ideal temperature is 24–26 degrees Celsius, which can be difficult to achieve if we prepare the wreath in winter. In this case, we can place it next to the radiator.
• Although the filling used in this recipe is sweetened whipped cream, some people prefer to fill it with truffle or pastry cream. To taste.
• We can also give it an extra flavour by brushing it with a little peach or apricot jam when we take the cake out of the oven. This not only adds shine but also sweetness.
• Dry bakery yeast can be replaced by fresh yeast. In this case, the amount to use is 40 grams.

Crown of Almudena Recipe: Madrid’s Dessert for November 9th