Mardi Gras King Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Mardi Gras King Cake
Description
The Mardi Gras King Cake blends a rich dough made from milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla with your choice of cinnamon or cream cheese filling options, lending contrasting flavors and textures. The dough is kneaded and allowed to rise until doubled, creating a soft, slightly airy interior. The finishing glaze ties the cake together with a sweet, lightly tangy frosting that sets up well for sprinkling with festive colored sugar. The method includes heating and cooling the milk mixture, proofing yeast in warm water with sugar, and careful kneading to bring together the sticky dough into a smooth ball. The fillings, from cinnamon sugar to cream cheese and powdered sugar blends, add moisture and richness inside. The finished cake combines sweet, spiced, and creamy notes accented by a tender yet slightly structured texture from the enriched dough. It is sliced and shared during Mardi Gras celebrations, adding a festive touch to the dessert table.
This King Cake serves well fresh and can also be absorbed into traditional celebrations. It can be sliced for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and pairs nicely with coffee or tea. The cake’s sweetness and texture make it a centerpiece rather than a quick snack.
Adjusting flour amount is key to managing dough stickiness; some cooks adding as much as an extra cup to reach workable softness. The cake keeps fresh for a few days uncovered or longer refrigerated, and can also be frozen for months if tightly wrapped. For added color, homemade colored sugar may be prepared from granulated sugar with food coloring. The dough can be made with instant yeast with adjusted rising methods or refrigerated overnight for convenience before baking.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter salted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup water warm
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 egg beaten, large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (705g to 776g)
Full Batch Cinnamon Filling Option
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (68g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter melted, salted
Full Batch Cream Cheese Filling Option
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened, salted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted, salted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Dough
- Heat milk and butter for 60-90 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Add the salt, then set aside to cool until just warm (about 120° to 130°F).
- In a separate bowl, combine the warm water, about 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the yeast. Stir, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- Once the yeast is foamy, add the milk and butter, the remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix well, then continue adding flour while kneading with the dough hook attachment, 1 cup at a time. Only add the additional 1/2 cup of flour if the dough is really sticky.* Knead for 5 minutes on medium speed or 8-10 minutes by hand to create a very soft dough that starts coming away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times by hand until a smooth, round ball forms. Clean and lightly oil the bowl, then return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Filling
- For the cinnamon filling, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter, mixing to combine. Set aside. Only use half of the amounts if you are only filling one king cake with this filling.
- For the cream cheese filling, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat well until smooth. Set aside. Only use half of the amounts if you are only filling one king cake with this filling.
Assembly
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide in half. (Remember, this recipe makes TWO king cakes). Roll out one half of the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface, roughly 10x16-inches. Use a pizza cutter to divide the dough in half lengthwise to create two long rectangles.
- Crumble the cinnamon filling or spread cream cheese filling evenly over the dough and roll up into two long cylinders, just like when making cinnamon rolls. Twist the two logs together into a rope braid, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet, shaping into an oval and pinching the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F while the king cake is rising. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and baked through. The cake should be done when it reaches 190° to 195°F on a digital thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat the powdered sugar, milk, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. The frosting should be pourable but thick.
- Stick a plastic baby figurine into each cake, pushing it down in to hide it. Drizzle the frosting over both king cakes, spreading it with a spatula if needed for good coverage. Sprinkle with the purple, green, and gold sugar while the frosting is still wet before it has a chance to set.
- Slice and serve. Whoever gets the slice with the baby gets to be king or queen for the day!
Notes
- If dough is too sticky, gradually add up to an extra cup of flour until manageable, aiming for a soft but not wet dough.
- King Cake is best served the day it’s made, but will keep 2-3 days at room temperature or up to a week refrigerated, stored airtight.
- You can freeze the baked King Cake for 2-3 months wrapped well; thaw 2-3 hours before serving at room temperature.
- Colored sugar for topping can be easily made by mixing granulated sugar with a few drops of food coloring in a sealed jar.
- For a no-braid option, roll the dough into a thick log instead of braiding to form the cake.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 307 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 307kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 57g | 19% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 31mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 236mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 81mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
| Vitamin A | 206IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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