Nut-free king cake with chocolate.

I've been commissioned to make a nut-free King Cake; also looking to add chocolate to it in some form, while maintaining the cake's essence. Suggestions? (For both the pecan substitution -- maybe an oat or a seed? -- and for ways to integrate chocolate.)

Shefali Luthra
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7 Comments

Margaret S.
Margaret S. February 19, 2023
You might try sunflower seeds they are seeds not nuts and maybe chop up u bar of Valrona (or Valrona or other good brand choc pastilles) chocolate.
 
My F.
My F. February 8, 2017
I was late in making my own families King Cake (as in had so little time I coudn't get to the store). But after making up a delicious one from just what we had in the house, which also happens to be uber traditional, I posted it to my website. I rarely do since I have a hard time writing how I do things. If you try it out feel free to substitute a fuller fat milk for my buttermilk, we just rarely have any other milk in the house. http://www.myfriendmaillard.com/blog/2016/2/3/king-cake-tradition
 
My F.
My F. February 8, 2017
Somehow the phrase "last year" did not make it into my post above. Just so no one gets confused, Lent doesn't start until March 1st this year, so you've got until the 28th.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune February 8, 2017
There are NO nuts in a traditional King Cake. I don't know where you got that notion. And there is no chocolate. The traditional cake is very much brioche-y, and sometimes has a marzipan-y filling, but mostly not. I've been teaching Cajun and Creole cooking for more than 30 years, and would not associate either nuts or chocolate with King cakes.
 
My F.
My F. February 8, 2017
Other highly Catholic regions of the US do both use the term King Cake and have nuts in the filling. Its not my favorite kind of filling. But since the point is to use up all of the decadent ingredients in your house before lent, you can understand why many communities started nutting them up.
 
Jennifer C.
Jennifer C. January 6, 2021
Perhaps it's a terminology issue.
Three Kings Cake (as opposed to King Cake):
http://catholicdigest.com/family/recipes/three-kings-cake/
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 7, 2017
I'd just exclude the nuts and do cream cheese with chocolate chunk filling or do just chocolate chunks. I've used this recipe with good success: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/king-cake-recipe2.html
 
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