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King Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 84 reviews

Traditional King Cake is a festive, sweet yeast bread famous for its vibrant colors and creamy filling. This recipe combines a soft, buttery dough with a luscious cream cheese filling, topped with colorful sugar decorations representing the Mardi Gras colors — purple, green, and gold. Perfect for celebrations, this recipe yields a moist, flavorful cake that’s both visually stunning and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 cup warm milk (110°F / 43°C)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 large eggs

Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Decoration

  • Food coloring (purple, green, gold)

Instructions

  1. Activate Yeast: In a bowl, combine warm milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes bubbly and foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
  2. Form Dough: Gradually add melted butter, eggs, and the all-purpose flour into the yeast mixture. Mix until you achieve a smooth dough.
  3. Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until it feels elastic and slightly tacky.
  4. First Rise: Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
  5. Prepare Filling: While the dough is rising, blend the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
  6. Shape Cake: Roll out the risen dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough, then roll it tightly into a log shape.
  7. Form Oval: Shape the dough log into an oval and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  8. Second Rise: Cover the shaped dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes until puffy.
  9. Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the king cake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
  10. Cool and Glaze: Allow the cake to cool completely before adding any glaze or decorating with colored sugars in purple, green, and gold.

Notes

  • Ensure the milk is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
  • Kneading properly develops gluten, giving the cake its characteristic texture.
  • You can substitute the filling with cinnamon sugar or fruit preserves if desired.
  • For authentic Mardi Gras tradition, hide a small plastic baby inside the cake before baking.
  • The colored sugar can be made by mixing granulated sugar with a few drops of food coloring.

Keywords: King Cake, Mardi Gras Cake, Cream Cheese Filling, Festive Bread, Southern Dessert, Yeast Bread

Find it online: https://famdishes.com/king-cake-recipe/