Mardi Gras King Cake

The first time I brought a King Cake to an office party, my coworker from New Orleans actually teared up. She told me about waking up every Mardi Gras morning to the smell of cinnamon and yeast, her grandmother already busy in the kitchen. Now I make this braided beauty every February, and something about that spiral shape with the purple, green, and gold sugar just makes a gray winter morning feel like a celebration.

Last year my daughter found the baby in her slice and insisted on wearing mardi gras beads to dinner for a week. Theres something wonderful about a dessert thats not just about eating but about the surprise and the story that comes with it. The moment you drizzle that white icing and shower it with carnival colors, it becomes the centerpiece of whatever gathering youre hosting.

Ingredients

• Warm milk: 110 degrees is perfect, any hotter and youll kill the yeast
• Active dry yeast: Let it foam up for 5 minutes, this tells you its alive and ready to work
• All-purpose flour: Add it gradually, the dough should feel tacky but not stick to your hands
• Unsalted butter melted and cooled: If its too hot it will scramble your eggs when you mix them in
• Cream cheese softened: Room temperature spreads so much easier over the dough
• Freshly grated nutmeg: This tiny amount adds a warmth you cant quite put your finger on
• Purple green and gold sanding sugars: The classic mardi gras colors in equal sections

Instructions

Wake up the yeast:

Combine warm milk and yeast in your largest bowl, then walk away for 5 minutes. Come back to find it foamy and alive.

Build the dough base:

Add sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until everything is incorporated.

Bring in the flour:

Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.

First rise:

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a warm towel, and let it rise in a cozy spot for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled.

Make the filling:

While dough rises, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until completely smooth. Mix cinnamon and granulated sugar in a separate small bowl.

Roll and fill:

Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10 by 24 inch rectangle. Spread cream cheese filling down the center third and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Shape the ring:

Fold one long side over filling, then the other, pinching seams to seal. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a ring, pinching ends together.

Second rise:

Cover and let rise for 45 minutes until puffy and slightly expanded.

Bake golden:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deeply golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes on the pan.

The finishing touch:

Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake, then sprinkle colored sugars in alternating sections.

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My neighbor started making King Cake with her grandchildren every year after trying mine. She texts me photos of their flour covered faces and the messy, beautiful cakes they create together. Thats what this recipe is really about, passing down tradition while making new memories in the kitchen.

Getting That Perfect Spiral

The trick to a neat spiral is rolling your dough evenly from the center outward, not stretching it. I roll toward myself on one side then away on the other, keeping the rectangle as uniform as possible. When you fold the sides over, start with the side closer to you and pinch tight along the entire seam before folding over the second side.

Working with the Colors

I use three small bowls for the colored sugars and work in alternating sections, slightly overlapping the colors where they meet for a seamless transition. The icing needs to be tacky but not wet so the sugar sticks without running down the sides. Sometimes I lightly press the sugar into the icing with clean fingers just to be sure.

Make Ahead Magic

You can bake the cake a day ahead and store it tightly wrapped at room temperature. The flavors actually develop overnight and the texture stays perfectly fresh. Decorate with icing and colored sugars the morning of serving so everything looks vibrant and freshly made.

• Warm individual slices for 10 seconds in the microwave
• Extra cream cheese filling keeps for a week in the fridge and is perfect on toast
• The cake freezes beautifully for up to 3 months before decorating

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Whatever you do, dont forget to tell your guests about the baby before they take that first eager bite. Watching someones eyes light up when they find it is the real treasure of Mardi Gras.

Recipe FAQs

→ How long should I let the dough rise?

Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours until it doubles in size, then a second rise of 45 minutes after shaping.

→ Can I add nuts to the filling?

Yes, adding ½ cup of chopped pecans to the cream cheese filling adds a lovely nutty flavor and texture.

→ What type of sugar is used for decoration?

Colored sanding sugars in purple, green, and gold are traditionally sprinkled over the icing for a festive appearance.

→ Is it better to make the cake ahead of time?

The cake can be prepared a day in advance and decorated just before serving to maintain freshness and vibrant colors.

→ What temperature should the milk be for activating yeast?

Use warm milk at about 110°F (43°C) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.

→ What is the purpose of the cinnamon sugar layer?

The cinnamon sugar adds a sweet, spicy layer beneath the cream cheese filling, enhancing flavor complexity.