Quick and Easy King Cakes on a Stick

5 from 1 vote

Quick and Easy King Cakes on a Stick

Get ready to let the good times roll with these easy-to-make, adorable King Cakes on a Stick! This fun twist on the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake features sweet cinnamon-sugar dough wrapped around skewers, drizzled with icing, and sprinkled with vibrant purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Cakes, Dessert, Mardi Gras

Cuisine: Mardi Gras

Servings: King Cakes on a Stick

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Chula King

Equipment

8 Wooden skewers, cut to 9 ½ inches with the point removed (See Note 1)
2 half sheet pans
Parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil
Wire cooling rack to fit inside half-sheet pan
Electric Mixer

Ingredients

King Cakes

13 ounce Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls - Cinnabon, 8-count (See Notes 2 and 3)
1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Icing

2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons (0.8 ounces) light corn syrup (See Note 4)
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) milk (See Note 5)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar for decoration

Instructions

King Cakes on a Stick

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil. Stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Unroll one of the cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of the sugar/cinnamon mixture on the strip and press into the dough with a knife or spoon. Starting with the thick end of the cinnamon roll closest to the center, tightly wrap around a chopstick in a spiral fashion, starting at about a 45° angle and about 6 inches from the end of the larger end of the chopstick. Press the dough together to cover the end of the chopstick completely. Place on the prepared half-sheet pan. (See Note 6)
Repeat with the remaining cinnamon rolls.
Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and transfer the king cakes on a stick to a wire rack set inside a half-sheet pan covered with aluminum foil. Allow to cool for five minutes.

Icing (See Note 7)

Add the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla extract to a medium-sized bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, one to two minutes. Cover with a damp paper towel until ready to use.
Carefully spoon the icing on top of one of the king cakes on a stick, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with sanding sugar before the icing hardens. (See Tip 8).
Repeat with the remaining king cakes on a stick.
If desired, package in clear cellophane bags tied with purple, green, and yellow ribbons once the icing hardens.
Yield: 8 King Cakes on a Stick

Video

Notes

Hand-held pruning clippers work well to cut the skewers. I used a new pair since the skewers were going to be used with food. I also washed the cut skewers in the dishwasher before using them. You can also use chopsticks as the sticks.
The first time I tried making the king cake on a stick, I used Grands 5-Count Cinnamon rolls. While this worked all right, the resulting king cake on a stick was too doughy. The 8-count cinnamon rolls worked much better.
If not using the Cinnabon rolled type, roll the dough into a 6-inch cylinder between palms. Then, with a fondant rolling pin, roll into a 10-inch strip, about 1 ½ to 2 inches wide.
Karo light corn syrup does not contain high-fructose sugar—it even says so on the label. Corn syrup is important for this icing because it helps the icing harden.
Add more or less milk to achieve the desired consistency.
Wrapping the dough around the skewer is a bit messy. Try to keep your fingers from the exposed skewer so as not to mess it up.
This is my go-to recipe for icing that I want to harden to facilitate packaging.
Because the icing hardens pretty quickly, it's best to sprinkle the king cake on a stick with the sprinkles as soon as the icing is added. Otherwise, the sprinkles won't stick.

Nutrition