King Cake

Yesterday, I made my very first King cake and now I'm wondering why in the world it took me so long to jump on this bandwagon. 🤷🏻‍♀️ This might just be the best kept secret in the cake world.  A traditional King Cake is made from a super soft yeast dough with a swirled cinnamon filling and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze and LOTS of sprinkles.  Think giant cinnamon roll smothered in brightly colored sprinkles and not a traditional birthday cake.  

For those of you who are new to the world of King cake, like me, you should know that this cake is both a dessert and a game.  The baker hides a tiny plastic baby somewhere inside the cake before it is served to the guests. 👶🏻 The person who finds the baby in their slice of cake is named King for the day. 🤴🏼 The only catch is that the recipient is bound by custom to host the next Mardi Gras party and provide the next King cake.  😉

My initial attempt at a King cake was a success - which isn't the case with every new cake recipe, so you can imagine my surprise.😅 The hardest part of the whole process was finding a "baby" to hide inside my cake. The baby in a King cake is supposed to represent Jesus but the best thing that I could come up with to hide inside my cake was a plastic bear. 🐻😅  It worked.  🤦🏻‍♀️

If you're lucky enough to be the recipient of the prized King cake "baby", I suggest you do two things.  1.) Hang onto that baby for the next cake.  They're harder to find than you might think. 🤣 And 2.) Save the link to this recipe so that you can make the next King cake that you are now expected to provide.  

There are a lot of steps to this cake but not to worry - I've broken it down into simple, easy to understand, instructions to help you through the process.  And keep in mind that the entire cake will be generously covered in brightly colored sprinkles which will mask any imperfections and let's be honest - the sprinkles are the only thing that anyone will notice about your finished dessert.  💛💜💚

King Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces

Cinnamon Filling
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter, softened

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix 2 1/2 c. flour and yeast in mixing bowl of stand mixer.  Beat on low for 30 seconds.

​Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar.

With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time.

Switch to dough hook.  Add 1 c flour a little at a time to make a soft dough.

​Add the softened butter, one piece at a time.

Knead for eight minutes on low. ​

Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. 

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for filling.  

Stir in softened butter. 

Roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle.

Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. ​

Fold the dough in half covering the filling.

​Cut dough into three long strips.

​Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom.  Stretch again.  

Shape braid into a circle and press the edges together.  Place on silpat lined baking sheet. 

​Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 

Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes at 350.  

To hide the baby in the cake, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in the cooled cake.

Mix together icing ingredients.  

Spoon over cake. 

Sprinkle generously with purple, green and yellow sugars.  

​Caio!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe