Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake

Name: Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Yield: 16 slices
Ingredients: 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast; ¼ cup water; 1 cup milk; ½ cup granulated sugar; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt; 1 tablespoon orange zest; ¾ cup orange juice; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 7 cups all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons water; 8 oz. cream cheese; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 2 egg yolks; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup seedless raspberry jam; Plastic Baby; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons orange juice; Purple Food Coloring; Yellow food coloring; green food coloring; Purple sanding sugar; Yellow sanding sugar; green sanding sugar

User Reviews

4.5

156 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
1 hr 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
3 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 50 mins
Servings
16 slices
Calories
448 kcal
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American

Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake

Iris Warren

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Celebrate Mardi Gras by baking a homemade Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake for friends and family! This stuffed king cake, which offers a cinnamon-sugar layer, then a combined cream cheese and raspberry layer, is a favorite of ours!

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Ingredients

Servings

Dough

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup water
1 cup milk scalded (cow's milk and unsweetened non-dairy milk OK)
½ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
¾ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7 cups all-purpose flour divided
2 large eggs beaten
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water

Cream Cheese and Raspberry Filling

8 oz. cream cheese softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam
Plastic Baby to be placed in the cake after baking and just before serving

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
Purple Food Coloring optional
Yellow food coloring optional
green food coloring optional
Purple sanding sugar optional
Yellow sanding sugar optional
green sanding sugar optional

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Instructions

Make the King Cake Dough

Measure out ingredients into bowls. This is called mise en place and will help greatly as you prepare to make this king cake.
Heat the water in the microwave for 30 seconds. You want it to be very warm, but not hot to touch or boiling. If it's too hot, you will kill the yeast.
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir well to allow the yeast to start working, and then set it aside. (You will know the yeast is working when the mixture turns into a slurry and some bubbles form on the surface. If this does not happen, it's possible that your yeast was scalded by too hot water or the packet was old.)
In the bowl of an upright mixer, combine the scalded milk, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla extract, orange zest and orange juice. Mix with the wire whisk attachment on slow speed until the butter is melted, and then allow this to cool slightly.
Replace the wire whisk attachment with the dough hook. Stir in 2 cups of the flour, and beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add the yeast mixture and the beaten eggs. Mix again until well incorporated.
Add the flour one cup at a time until all the flour has been measured and the dough is no longer sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Continue mixing on a slow speed with the dough hook for about 5 minutes to knead the dough. Add a little more flour if it looks like the dough surface is sticking to the bowl or if it looks too moist. (You can also knead the dough by hand at this point. I like to do this until the dough is nice and smooth and not too sticky/wet.)
Once kneaded, transfer the dough into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise and double in size. (About 90 minutes, depending on the temperature of your home.)

Make the Fillings

While the dough is rising, make the fillings.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and water, then set aside.

Roll and Fill the King Cake

Punch down the dough, then transfer it to a floured surface. Now, roll it out into a rectangle. (Make it about a ½" thick.)
Smooth the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough with the back of a spoon or a butter knife.
Add the cream cheese filling just inside one long edge of the dough, spreading with a spoon. Top it with the raspberry jam, spreading it evenly on top.
Starting on the long side closest, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled. Be gentle with the dough, and keep in mind that this part can get messy. (You've been warned!) Pinch the seal closed gently.
Once rolled, shape it into a complete ring or circle, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Place the sheet pan in a warm spot, and allow the dough to rise and double in size again. (About 60 – 90 minutes.)

Bake the King Cake

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Brush the risen dough with heavy whipping cream.
Bake the cake at 375°F for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when poked through the largest section of the cake.
Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

Decorate the King Cake

Make the icing: Combine the powdered sugar and orange juice in a deep bowl whisking until smooth. If the icing is too stiff, whisk in ½ tablespoon water at a time until spreadable. Optional: Dye the icing purple, green and gold and set aside. (If you're not coloring the icing, you can use colored sugar to decorate it in traditional Mardi Gras colors.)
Drizzle the cooled cake with the icing.
Sprinkle with colored sugar, and let the icing harden. (About 10-20 minutes.)
Just before slicing, add the plastic baby to the cake. (You will want to do this after the bake and before slicing so you know where it is. The baby can be a choking hazard, so be sure to inform your guests of the baby, as well as watch to ensure the person who receives it has spotted it before taking a bite.)
Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Cajun Chef Ryan.
If you want a different filling, feel free to swap the raspberry jam with strawberry, blueberry or mixed berry jam. If you don't like cream cheese, skip that and just use the jam of your liking!

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1slice Calories 448kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 79g (26%) Protein 8g (16%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 70mg (23%) Sodium 287mg (12%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 33g (66%)