Mardi Gras King Cake
The King Cake is a quintessential confection decorated in Mardi Gras colors. Purple signifies justice, green denotes faith, and gold or yellow signifies power. Traditionally, a tiny plastic baby is hidden in the King Cake.
Ingredients
King Cake Dough
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) ¼ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F/40 to 45 degrees C), or as needed
- 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 3 ½ cups (17.5 ounces) all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 3 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast
Filling
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup (2 ounces) confectoners' sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (10 ounces) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Purple, green, and yellow food glitter
Instructions
King Cake Dough
- Add the dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed. Select the dough cycle and start the machine.
Filling
- Beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. (See Note 1)
- Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until combined. Add melted butter; stir to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
Icing
- Beat cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
King Cake
- When the dough cycle is finished, remove the dough and roll it out to a 10×28-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Trim the edges as needed. Spread the cream cheese filling on the dough. Then spread the cinnamon/sugar mixture on the dough to within 1 inch of the edges.
- Starting at one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly into a 28-inch log. Pinch the edges to seal the log. Place the rolled log onto the prepared baking sheet, seam side down, and form the dough into a ring. Moisten the ends of the dough with a little water; pinch the two ends together to seal.
- If desired, brush the king cake with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, slash the top of the king cake to allow the steam to escape. Let the cake rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the king cake in a preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the king cake from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. While the cake is still warm, spoon the icing onto it, allowing the icing to dribble down the sides. Immediately, sprinkle purple, green, and yellow food glitter on the cake.
- Yield: One King Cake.
Tips/Notes
- May omit the cream cheese filling and just use the cinnamon/sugar filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 399kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 461IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
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