Mardi Gras King Cake

The King Cake is a staple of any Mardi Gras celebration. This delicious French-style dough is decorated with a sugary glaze, then topped with sanding sugars in traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras colors. For an extra dash of flavor, this easy King Cake recipe also features a sweet cinnamon filling you're sure to love. A sweet treat you're going to love making every year on Fat Tuesday, this traditional King Cake recipe will put the crowning touch on your Mardi Gras celebration!

Prep30 min
Total Time2 hr 30 min
Skill LevelBeginner

AmountAbout 10-12 servings

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Ingredients

Bread
1 1/3 cups warm milk (105°F)
2 packages (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Miniature plastic baby (optional)

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dark green sanding sugar sprinkles
Yellow sanding sugar sprinkles
Purple sanding sugar sprinkles

Tools
2 large bowls
1 medium bowl
Electric mixer (with dough hook)
Plastic wrap
Large cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Cooling grid

Instructions

Click to mark complete

Stir together warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy.
Add 1/2 cup of room temperature butter, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt. Mix with an electric stand mixer using a dough hook on medium speed until combined.
Gradually add 4 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix on a medium speed until a smooth, elastic, and soft dough forms, about 5 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with vegetable pan spray. Form the dough into a ball, then place it into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the cinnamon filling. Stir together 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a medium bowl until well-combined.
Prepare a large cookie pan with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, punch the dough down and roll it out to a 10 inch x 28 inch rectangle. Spread the filling onto the dough and roll it up from the long side, similar to rolling a cinnamon roll.
Cut the log in half lengthwise and twist the pieces together, forming it into a ring on the prepared pan, tucking the ends under (seam side down).
Loosely cover the twisted dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25-29 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling grid.
For glaze, stir 3 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into the 1¼ cups of confectioners' sugar until a thick glaze forms. Drizzle over cooled king cake and sprinkle with colored sugars.

Notes

To add a plastic baby:
Before adding the plastic baby to the cake, make sure the cake has completely cooled. Once cooled, cut a small slit in the bottom of the cake and insert the baby. Traditionally, whoever finds the baby is said to have good luck, and is tasked with hosting next year's party and making the next King Cake.

How To

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