How to make the traditional almond Pithivier, a French pastry recipe made with my best crispy and buttery homemade puff pastry dough and filled with the perfect and easy almond cream filling.
If you enjoy puff pastry treats, give this delicious recipe for pear and chocolate King Cake or this Nutella Stuffed King Cake a try.
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What is a Pithivier?
The Pithivier is a traditional French pastry recipe, a puff pastry cake generally filled with a savory or sweet filling as here with almonds and it is native to a French region, the town of Pithivier from where it takes its name.
Pithiviers is a recipe very similar to the "galette des Rois" (king cake) that is made during January and Epiphany day and is made of two puff pastry sheets and filled with a delicious and creamy almond filling stuffed in between.
Traditionally decorated with a pretty round shape, flower petals and spiral lines drawn, this recipe is a perfect change from the traditional galette to celebrate Epiphany with the family this year or just for fun.
Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredient Notes
Puff pastry: I used the classic homemade puff pastry dough for this recipe, but you can also use the inverted puff pastry dough recipe, the quick rough puff pastry dough recipe or simply use two disks of store-bought puff pastry.
Almond filling: You can always prepare the frangipane recipe, which is a mixture of pastry cream and almond cream that gives a creamier and more flavorful filling.
How to make the Pithivier
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Make the puff pastry following my French puff pastry recipe or simply take 2 discs of puff pastry from the store.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, place the softened butter with the powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy.
Step 3: Add the eggs, almond extract and vanilla flavor (or rum) and beat again at medium speed for a good minute to incorporate.
Step 4: Add ground almonds or cornstarch and beat again to incorporate.
Step 5: Roll out the puff pastry with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 3 mm on a sheet of parchment paper to move it more easily and mark an 8-inch/20 cm circle with a plate or pastry ring.
Step 6: Fill the center with almond cream, leaving a space of 3-5 cm.
Step 7: Moisten the edges with a pastry brush and water and cover with a second sheet of puff pastry and weld the edges together, pressing lightly, and cut out the edges with a knife, forming flower petals.
Baking
- Move the pithivier to a baking sheet.
- Brush the entire top with egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Lightly score the top with a sharp knife or a small paring knife to make spiral lines.
- Make a few holes on the top to let the air trapped inside the cake escape and apply a second layer with the remaining egg wash.
- Bake the pithivier in a preheated oven at 350°F/ 180°C for 40-45 minutes until puffed and golden brown on top.
- Let the pithivier cool a bit before moving it to a wire rack or a serving plate and serving it a bit warm.
Tips for this recipe
Storage and freezing
Room temperature: Pithivier can be stored at room temperature under a cloth or in an airtight container box for about 3 to 4 days.
How to reheat: You can slightly reheat it in the microwave or oven to give it a little freshness.
How to freeze: To freeze, wait until completely cooled and place in a storage box or place it in a pie dish covered with plastic wrap, you can keep it for up to 3 months.
Variations & Substitutions
More Galette Recipes
I hope you love these Almond French Pithivier. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
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Pithivier recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
How to make a delicious almond Pithivier recipe, a homemade puff pastry filled with almond cream (for a cake of 10 inch/25 cm 8-10 slices)
Ingredients
Almond filling :
- 150 g (⅔ cup) Butter - unsalted and softened
- 150 g ( 1 ⅓ cup) Sugar - granulated
- 3 eggs - at room temperature
- 150 g ( 1 ⅓ cup) Almond meal
- 20 g (2 ½ tbsp) Cornstarch - or flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or bitter almond extract
Instructions
Make the dough following my recipe for homemade puff pastry or take 2 sheets of store-bought puff pastry.
Almond cream
- Place the chopped and softened butter in a large bowl with the sugar and beat with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again with an electric mixer for 1 minute to incorporate.
- Finish with the ground almonds and cornstarch and mix again with an electric mixer for a good minute to incorporate them and until you have a smooth mixture.
Puff pastry
- Roll out the dough into 2 sheets about 3 mm thick.
- Take the first sheet of dough and mark it with a 7-8 inch/20 cm pastry circle to have a guide.
- Fill the center of the circle with the almond cream, leaving a border of about 3-4 cm.
- Moisten the edges with a brush and water.
- Cover with the second sheet of puff pastry and press to adhere the two pastries together.
- Cut out flower-shaped edges with a knife.
- Brush the Pithivier with egg wash.
- Score the top with a knife or pastry cutter to form spiral lines.
- Stick the knife in several places in the dough to evacuate the air trapped inside the cake.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and bake the pithivier for 40-45 minutes until it is well puffed up and golden on top.
- Let the pithivier cool down a bit before serving it a bit warm.
Notes
Storage: Up to 3 to 4 days at room temperature under a cloth or in a storage box and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Galette, dessert, cake,
- Cuisine: French
Very nice recipe, I plan to try it this year as a change from the traditional king cake. Thank you very much.