Spanish department store stashing gold ingots inside festive cakes

EL CORTE INGLES is emulating Willy Wonka and stashing gold bars in their New Year’s Roscones de Reyes. A select few of the famous Spanish January cakes will have one gram of pure gold hidden in the packaging. One will even contain a full ounce – valued at €1,130, compared to €47 for a gram.

Across Spain and the Costa del Sol El Corte Ingles supermarkets are selling the roscones, quite literally like hotcakes, as news of the hidden treasure spreads. Collaborating with precious metals company Degussa, a total of 251 gold bullion was stretched throughout Spain.

The roscone with the full ounce won’t actually contain the gold (the weight would be a slight giveaway to savvy shoppers) but will have a card with information on how to collect.

El Corte Ingles produces almost half a million roscones de reyes each year, mostly in its Madrid workshop. The oval shaped pastry is traditionally eaten in Spain to celebrate the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, on January 6.