Rosca De Reyes - Three Kings Cake

Molly53's Note:

The Day of Kings (el Dia de Tres Reyes), or Epiphany, is celebrated on January 6 to commemorate the day the magi arrived bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. The Day of the Kings is observed by Latin cultures with the making and eating of a rosca de reyes, a sweet bread on the order of Louisiana's King cake, with a hidden tiny plastic baby (or a dried bean), representing the baby Jesus, inside. If you get the slice with the "baby", you will have good luck all year. Traditionally served with delicious Mexican hot chocolate. From the El Charro Cafe in Tucson, Arizona.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

For the cake

• 16 ounces butter (if using margarine, NOT tub or spread product) or 16 ounces margarine (if using margarine, NOT tub or spread product)
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups cake flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup pecans

The syrup

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground aniseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 dried beans (or plastic baby)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter or margarine and powdered sugar.
3. Add eggs and beat again, until light and fluffy.
4. Combine dry ingredients, expect chopped nuts.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients and vanilla to creamed mixture.
6. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of lightly greased 9x5x4-inch loaf pan.
7. Pour batter into pan.
8. Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes, or until pick comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch.
9. Cool 10 minutes; turn cake onto wire rack to cool.
10. Insert dry bean or"baby" from the underside of the cake when cool.
11. During the last minutes cake is cooking, melt brown sugar in heavy saucepan over low heat.
12. Remove from heat and add ground anise and vanilla extract.
13. Pour warm syrup over freshly baked, cooled cake.