At the turn of the year, a familiar ritual returns to French tables, carrying with it the promise of warmth, pleasure, and shared delight. The King’s Cake, reimagined by World’s Best Pastry Chef Nina Métayer in 2023 and 2024, draws deeply from tradition while opening the door to something quietly contemporary. Rooted in heritage yet guided by instinct and creativity, the chef extends her collaboration with Jaeger LeCoultre through a new culinary expression that celebrates time, place, and craftsmanship.
This creation is a tribute to origins. Inspired by the Vallée de Joux, the birthplace of Jaeger LeCoultre, the recipe unfolds through a cocoa infused puff pastry and a heart of chestnut, evoking the landscape’s textures, depth, and restrained elegance. Each bite tells a story of winter woods, gentle bitterness, and comforting richness, shaped with the precision of a watchmaker and the generosity of a shared meal.
Hidden within select King’s Cakes around the world are five golden vermeil fèves, a rare and playful gesture that adds an element of surprise to the experience. These precious charms, destined for a fortunate few, echo the convivial spirit of the tradition while elevating it with a touch of quiet luxury.
The dialogue between Nina Métayer and Jaeger LeCoultre began in 2021 with the opening of the 1931 Café, where the chef created a bespoke pastry menu inspired by the geometry and glamour of Art Deco. Named Pastry Chef of the Year three times before the age of thirty, Métayer is celebrated for her striking visual sensibility and her ability to layer flavours in ways that feel both intuitive and unexpected.
In 2026, this collaboration continues with an exclusive King’s Cake for the Maison entitled Curve of Time. As part of the Made of Makers programme, the project becomes a meeting point between culinary artistry and horological savoir faire. Time, tradition, and craftsmanship converge in a dessert designed to mark the beginning of the year with warmth and intention, honouring heritage while embracing creative freedom.
The King’s Cake, a centuries old symbol of sharing and celebration, becomes in Métayer’s hands a refined moment of discovery. Curve of Time revisits the ritual with a modern sensibility, inviting the senses to linger. Cocoa puff pastry gives way to a generous chestnut frangipane, subtly lifted by notes of hazelnut. Layers unfold with care: laminated pastry infused with cocoa, silky chestnut cream, hazelnut praline punctuated by nibs, and a delicate cocoa tuile finished with a soft golden shimmer. Each element is measured, balanced, and composed to create a tasting experience that feels both indulgent and precise.
This attention to structure and harmony mirrors the values of fine watchmaking, where beauty is inseparable from craftsmanship. In this meeting of haute pâtisserie and horology, Curve of Time reflects Jaeger LeCoultre’s enduring pursuit of excellence, celebrating tradition not as something fixed, but as something alive, evolving through creativity, emotion, and pleasure.
True to the spirit of the King’s Cake, each creation conceals a fève shaped like a medallion, crowning its finder King or Queen for the day. For this special edition, the fèves honour two meaningful milestones: 2021, the beginning of the collaboration between Nina Métayer and Jaeger LeCoultre, and 2023, the year of the chef’s international recognition. Among them are five exceptional gold vermeil fèves, quietly waiting to be discovered, turning a shared slice into a memorable moment.