Description
Festive Mardi Gras king cake celebrates New Orleans culinary tradition with sweet, colorful pastry. Rich dough swirled with cinnamon and topped with purple, green, and gold sugar delights carnival season celebrants.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk (whole)
- 1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
- 2 tbsps ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining it with warm milk and allowing it to become frothy for approximately 5 minutes.
- Create a soft dough by mixing the activated yeast with melted butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and gradually incorporating flour until a cohesive texture develops.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead vigorously for 8-10 minutes until achieving a smooth, elastic consistency.
- Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm environment for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the filling by blending brown sugar and cinnamon thoroughly in a separate bowl.
- After rising, deflate the dough and roll it into a rectangular shape approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread softened butter evenly across the rolled dough’s surface, then generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Tightly roll the dough from the long edge, creating a cylindrical shape, then carefully form it into an oval on a lined baking sheet.
- Allow the shaped cake to rise again for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake turns golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before preparing the glaze.
- Whisk powdered sugar with milk or cream until achieving a smooth, drizzling consistency.
- Generously coat the cooled cake with the glaze and immediately decorate with festive colored sprinkles.
Notes
- Ensure milk is warm but not hot to prevent killing the yeast, which is crucial for achieving a fluffy, soft cake texture.
- Knead patiently until dough becomes smooth and elastic, avoiding adding too much flour that could make the cake dense.
- Place dough in a draft-free, warm spot like near a preheated oven to help it rise evenly and develop rich flavor.
- Substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend and add xanthan gum for better structure and texture.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg