Catalan pastry chefs hoping to sell over 900k epiphany cakes

The Barcelona Pastry Chef Guild estimates that this year, for the soon-upcoming epiphany, Catalans will eat over 900,000 of the traditional cakes for January 6, a number similar to that of 2018.

And each time, buyers are more and more conscientious about their buying choices and what they eat, explained guild president and pastry chef Elies Miró, saying that often they seek out artisanal options over large companies and artificially preserved confections.

There’s room to innovate, but the best-seller is set to be the same as before, marzipan, followed by those filled with cream or truffle. Regards prices, the average cost for a cake for a family of four to six will round to between 25 and 30 euros.

The tortell de Reis, a round dessert similar to sponge cake with nuts and candied fruit, is a traditional treat is also eaten among friends and family members. More than a confection, it’s also a game: inside each one is hidden a coin, which bestows on the person who finds it their own crown, and a bean, which then obligates the unlucky recipient to pay for the following year’s tortell.