Description
A festive and colorful King Cake, perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras, featuring a delightful cinnamon swirl and creamy glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for dough)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (for filling)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for filling)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for filling)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
- 2 tablespoons milk or water (for icing)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
- Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar (for decoration)
- 1 small plastic baby (optional)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Mix the dough by blending remaining sugar, eggs, softened butter, and salt until just combined.
- Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups flour to combine into a shaggy dough, then gradually add remaining flour until pulling away from sides.
- Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic; incorporate 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
- Prepare the filling by mixing light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and melted butter into a paste.
- Shape the cake by rolling the risen dough into a 12 by 18-inch rectangle and spreading the filling over it, then rolling into a log.
- Form a ring or oval shape, pinch seams, and optionally insert the plastic baby.
- Let it rise again for 30 to 45 minutes while preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown, cool on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with sanding sugars.
Notes
Ensure the dough rises in a warm, draft-free area for best results. You can prepare the dough up to a day in advance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 60mg