Description
A recipe for a traditional, soft yeast King Cake perfect for Mardi Gras celebrations, featuring a sweet dough and colorful icing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for yeast
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup melted butter for brushing
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar for filling
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for filling
- 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter for filling
- 1 cup powdered sugar for icing
- 2 tablespoons milk for icing
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for icing
- Purple, green, and gold food coloring or sanding sugars for decoration
Instructions
- Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, softened butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well.
- Gradually add the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup softened butter until crumbly.
- Punch down the risen dough. Roll it out into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches.
- Brush the surface of the dough with the 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the buttered surface.
- Roll the dough tightly lengthwise into a long log. Pinch the seam closed.
- Shape the log into a ring by bringing the ends together and pinching them firmly. Place the ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the ring loosely and let it rise again in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes, or until puffy.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide the icing into three small bowls.
- Color each bowl of icing with one of the traditional colors: purple, green, or gold.
- Drizzle or spread the colored icings over the cooled cake in stripes or sections. Immediately sprinkle with matching sanding sugars before the icing sets.
Notes
- For a cream cheese filling variation, mix 4 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and spread this over the dough before adding the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- If you want a softer bread, use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- You can make the dough the day before and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 65