Henrico bakery's holiday Rosca de Reyes cake is key to Mexican Three Kings' Day celebration and culinary tradition

Dalia’s Ice Cream & Bakery in Henrico started posting videos of its Rosca de Reyes or "Wreath of the Kings," cake on Saturday, reminding customers that Tuesday, Jan. 6 was time to enjoy the pastry with family and friends.

The sweet culinary custom celebrates faith, unity and the end of the Christmas season.

Three Kings' Day falls on Jan. 6, which in the Catholic tradition is celebrated as the Epiphany, a feast that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation.

In the Mexican tradition, sharing the Rosca de Reyes cake and the ritual of cutting pieces to enjoy is not always religious. Secular Mexicans embrace the tradition for the convivial communal aspect.

Eating the Rosca de Reyes can follow a gathering, along with festive activities for kids including whacking a colorful piñata filled with treats.

“According to the tradition, the person who finds the small plastic Baby Jesus figures in the Rosca receives a blessing,” said Dalia’s bakery staffer Noredy Cuaresma in Spanish on Tuesday morning, as she and other staff moved stacks of colorful boxes filled with the Rosca de Reyes cakes of three sizes to the front of the store at at 7310 Staples Mill Road in front of the pastry cases, on tables along a bright yellow wall.

The small, medium and large Rosca de Reyes cakes at Dalia’s cost $45, $55 and $70 respectively. Bakery supervisor Javier de la Cruz and his assistant Joel Nieves had baked more than 300 Roscas for customers.

Henrico County has a significant Hispanic population – about 22,000-24,000 residents (about 7% of the county's population), with Mexican heritage being a major part of Virginia's overall Hispanic demographic. The state also has significant populations of residents with Salvadoran, Honduran, Venezuelan, Dominican and Puerto Rican origins.

Some of the customers on Tuesday who came to buy the Rosca de Reyes were local English speakers eager to taste the once-a-year holiday dish.

“The person who finds the figure in their piece of the cake is supposed to follow the tradition that they have to prepare a meal for all those who participate on Feb. 2, which is the Día de la Candelaria,” said Cuaresma.

The Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas, holiday is a significant Mexican tradition marking the end of the Christmas season, where the traditional feast that a person must prepare is always tamales.

Year-round, the shop’s bakery case features conchas, the round, dry sweetbreads with iconic colorful sweet topping in a grid design that is best enjoyed with hot tea, café con leche or thick hot chocolate. That sweet paste on top of the conchas makes a featured appearance on the Rosca de Reyes.

Even for the non-religious, finding the little plastic hidden baby Jesus figurine is a lucky omen.   

To be sure, there are other bakeries that are owned and run by people of Mexican origin in the Richmond area, but Dalia’s Ice Cream & Bakery’s social media posts racked up more than 5,000 views, suggesting a testament to a clientele who value the quality and verity of the products produced.

Bakery supervisor de la Cruz explained Dalia’s Rosca follows tradition with ingredients that include orange zest, flour, yeast, butter, warm milk and sugar. The dough requires proofing.

The inside is filled with a bit of cheese and tropical guayaba fruit filling. The candied fruit strips on top are made from cherries, plum, oranges, lemons, quince and guava.

De la Cruz said each Magi king is symbolized by the various colored fruit strips.

For the adults, the Rosca de Reyes cake conjures memories of community and treats.

“It’s a tradition for the children, who get gifts from the kings,” de la Cruz. “It’s a good memory for me as a child, and I do it for my children too.”

“My favorite part is eating it,” said Nieves who grew up with the custom. “I like to see if I get a baby in my piece of cake. It’s a really beautiful tradition.”

Dina Weinstein is the Citizen’s community vitality reporter and a Report for America corps member, covering housing, health and transportation. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.