Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake
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4.5
88 reviews
Excellent
Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake
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The Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake is a traditional festive bread dough enriched with zesty orange and warm spices, filled with a creamy mixture of softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, and raspberry jam. It combines a tender, enriched yeast dough with layers of cinnamon sugar and a sweet filling, baked into a ring and iced, sometimes decorated with colorful sanding sugars. This cake is both a dessert and a celebratory centerpiece, especially in Mardi Gras traditions.
Description
The Cream Cheese and Raspberry King Cake begins with a yeast-based dough incorporating milk, sugar, butter, orange juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to establish a rich and slightly citrusy foundation. After proofing and mixing, the dough is rolled and layered with a cinnamon sugar filling and a creamy blend of cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and raspberry jam. The combination brings a balance of cinnamon warmth, fruity tang, and rich creaminess inside a soft, tender bread ring.
The assembly includes placing a hidden plastic baby figurine after baking, a tradition signaling good luck. After baking, the cake is iced with a simple orange juice powdered sugar glaze, optionally tinted with food coloring, and sprinkled with colorful sanding sugars to represent Mardi Gras colors. This festive bread fits well as a dessert during celebrations and gatherings.
The recipe notes mention you can substitute the raspberry jam with strawberry, blueberry, or mixed berry jams, or omit cream cheese if preferred, making it adaptable to taste. This flexibility allows variation while retaining the cake's distinctive layered style.
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Ingredients
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 butter softened, unsalted
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 7 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 2 egg beaten, large
- 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 yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 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
- Food Coloring optional, purple color
- yellow food coloring optional
- green food coloring optional
- sanding sugar optional, purple
- sanding sugar optional, yellow
- sanding sugar optional, green
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
- You can replace raspberry jam with other berry jams like strawberry or blueberry according to preference.
- If you prefer, omit cream cheese and use only the jam filling.
- Incorporate the plastic baby after baking, just before serving, to maintain tradition.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
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%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 16slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 448 kcal
% Daily Value*
| 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% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
88 reviews
Excellent
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