Mardi Gras King Cake - French Style Dough
The King Cake is a staple of any Mardi Gras celebration. This recipe is for a delicious French-style dough that is decorated with a sugary glaze, then topped with sanding sugars in traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras colors. For an extra dash of flavor, this easy King Cake recipe also features a sweet cinnamon Lorann Flavor based filling you're sure to love. This traditional King Cake recipe will put the crowning touch on your Mardi Gras celebration, a sweet treat you will love making every year on Fat Tuesday!
INGREDIENTS
Bread
- 1 1/3 cups warm milk (105°F)
- 2 packages (1/4 oz. each) of active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided.
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened.
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Lorann's Butter Vanilla
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Miniature plastic baby (optional)
Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Lorann's cinnamon & 2 tablespoons of fine ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dark green sanding sugar sprinkles
- Yellow sanding sugar sprinkles
- Purple sanding sugar sprinkles
Tools
- 2 large bowls
- 1 medium bowl
- Electric mixer (with dough hook)
- Plastic wrap
- Large cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling grid
- Plastic Baby
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir together warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy!
Add 1/2 cup of room temperature butter, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon Lorann's butter vanilla, and salt. Mix with an electric stand mixer using a dough hook on medium speed until combined.
Gradually add 4 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix on a medium speed until a smooth, elastic, and soft dough forms, about 5 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with vegetable pan spray. Form the dough into a ball, then place it into the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the cinnamon filling. Stir together 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons Lorann's cinnamon spice, and 2 tablespoons of finely ground cinnamon in a medium bowl until well combined.
Prepare a large cookie pan with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, punch the dough down and roll it out to a 10-inch x 28-inch rectangle. Spread the filling onto the dough and roll it up from the long side, similar to rolling a cinnamon roll.
Cut the log in half lengthwise and twist the pieces together, forming it into a ring on the prepared pan, tucking the ends under (seam side down)
Loosely cover the twisted dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25-29 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling grid.
For the glaze, stir 3 tablespoons of milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into the 1¼ cups of confectioners' sugar until a thick glaze forms. Drizzle over cooled king cake and sprinkle with colored sugars
Notes:
To add a plastic baby:
Before adding the plastic baby to the cake, make sure the cake has completely cooled. Once cooled, cut a small slit in the bottom of the cake and insert the baby. Traditionally, whoever finds the baby is said to have good luck and is tasked with hosting next year’s party and making the next King Cake.