Bite-Sized King Cakes

5 from 2 votes

Bite-Sized King Cakes are the perfect solution for those who want to enjoy the traditional taste of King Cake but on a much smaller scale. They are a fun and convenient option for Mardi Gras parties, festivities, or just a sweet treat for yourself.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Dough Mixing and Rising2

Total Time2 45

Course: Cakes, Dessert, Mardi Gras

Cuisine: Mardi Gras

Servings: Bite-Sized King Cakes

Calories: 174kcal

Equipment

Bread machine and mini-Bundt cake pan

Ingredients

Bite-Sized King Cake Dough

1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup filtered water (the egg plus the water should weigh 4 ounces or 114 grams) (See Tips 1 and 2)
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce, 29 grams) Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (8 ounces, 227 grams) sour cream
3 ½ Tablespoons (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) granulated sugar
3 ½ cups (17.5 ounces, 496 grams) all-purpose flour (See Tip 3)
2 ½ teaspoons (0.37 ounces, 11 grams) bread machine or instant yeast (See Tip 4)

Sugar/Cinnamon Filling

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ cup (3.5 ounces, 100 grams) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Frosting

2 cups (8 ounces, 227 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoon milk, more or less, as needed to reach desired consistency
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Purple, green, and yellow sprinkles

Instructions

Bite-Sized King Cake Dough

Add the dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed. Select the dough cycle and start the machine. After five minutes of mixing, check the dough and add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water or flour if the dough is too dry or wet.

Sugar/Cinnamon Filling

Mix together the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside along with the melted butter.

Frosting

Beat together confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla extract to the desired consistency. Cover until ready to use.

Bite-Sized King Cakes

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray the mini-Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
When the dough cycle finishes, cut the dough in half. Use half of the dough for the mini-king cakes and the other half for another purpose, like rolls.
Roll the retained half of the dough on a floured surface to approximately 13 inches by 17 ounces. Trim to a neat rectangle that is 12 inches by 16 inches.
Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle on the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut four 4-inch-wide strips width-wise from the dough. Then cut each of the strips into three 4-inch-wide strips. You will have a total of 12 strips that are 4 inches by 4 inches.
Cut each dough strip in half (2 inches by 4 inches). You will now have 24 rectangles, 2 inches by 4 inches.
Roll each of the 2 x 4-inch rectangles, jelly-roll fashion, into little logs. Bring the ends together and pinch the dough to seal the seam. Place in the prepared mini-Bundt pan and press down slightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 14 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Dip each Bite-Sized King Cake in the frosting, allowing the excess to drip off. Sprinkle on purple, green, and yellow sprinkles.
Yield: 24 Bite-Sized King Cakes.

Video

Notes

There is a fair amount of variability in the size of eggs. Therefore, to ensure the proper consistency of the dough, I like to weigh the combination of the egg and the water.
You should always use filtered water when making bread dough. The reason is that tap water contains chlorine that can retard the growth of yeast or even kill the yeast.
I always weigh the flour. The reason is that the quantity of flour can vary greatly depending on how it's measured. Weighing the flour ensures the property amount for this recipe.
Instant or bread machine yeast does not need to be proofed before adding it to the ingredients. Active yeast, on the other hand, does require proofing.

Nutrition