King Cake, a tradition that started with our church’s Mardi Gras celebration last year. I don’t know much in the way of Mardi Gras but I do know that my cousin is the pro at all things Mardi Gras. He went to school at Loyola in New Orleans, met his now wife there…Jose and I got to photograph their wedding back in 2015 with a first line band and the most delicious petit fours. It was a learning experience to say the least and I so treasure it near and dear to my heart. Being that I knew that a King Cake was part of a Mardi Gras celebration and not many others knew about it and no one volunteered to make one, I set out to learn how to make one.
The baby goes where?
Now here’s the fun part. When serving this delicious dessert after a Mardi Gras dinner, the person who gets the slice with the baby in it is crowned king/queen of Mardi Gras. So fun, but please don’t eat the baby. No joke. Last year someone ate it and we weren’t able to crown anyone. Ha ha!
King Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) warm water
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 ( 1/4-ounce/7g) package instant yeast
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Softened butter or vegetable oil, for the bowl
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60ml) whole milk or nondairy alternative
- 1/4 cup each purple, green and yellow sugar
- Plastic king cake baby
Prepare
- First, prepare the bread dough: Add the warm water and 2 of the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add sugar, yeast, flour, salt, and 5 tablespoons of butter. Knead on low speed until the ingredients have come together, 2 minutes.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and the gluten develops, 8 to 10 more minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a single ball forms on the dough hook and it thwacks the side of the bowl as the dough hook moves.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and shape the dough into a ball. Transfer to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic or a clean damp towel and let rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the dough in half the lengthwise. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt together in a small mixing bowl with a fork. Spread the filling out over the dough with your fingers leaving a small rim along the long edges.
- Roll each section of dough into a log like you would a cinnamon roll. Carefully twist the logs together into a two-strand rope. Shape the twisted dough into a circle and pinch the ends of the rope together.
- Cover with a clean dish towel until risen and doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
- Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush egg wash all over the loaf. Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake until browned, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the vanilla glaze: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
- Finally, tuck the baby into one of the folds of the cake so it cannot be seen. Cover the cake with the vanilla glaze and sprinkle with purple, green, and yellow sugar before serving.
