Description
King Cake is a beloved, festive pastry traditionally made for Mardi Gras celebrations. This sweet, cinnamon-filled cake is decorated with colorful sugars and often hides a small plastic baby inside. Whoever finds the baby is said to have good luck and is expected to host the next party!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For Decorating:
- Colored sugars (purple, green, and gold)
- Plastic baby (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, and cinnamon to the yeast mixture. Stir until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes, until smooth. Place it in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the Filling: In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Punch down the dough and roll it into a 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border along the edges. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side.
- Form the rolled dough into a circle and pinch the ends together to form a ring.
- If using a plastic baby, carefully place it into the bottom of the cake before baking.
- Place the cake on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let it cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare the Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Decorate with colored sugars in alternating sections of purple, green, and gold. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The “baby” is often placed in the cake after baking to avoid it melting, and the person who finds it is expected to host the next celebration or provide the next King Cake.
- You can substitute the cinnamon filling for other fillings like cream cheese or fruit preserves.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes