Mardi Gras King Cake (Print Version)
A festive Mardi Gras King Cake with luscious cream cheese filling and vibrant sugar topping.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1/2 cup warm whole milk (110°F)
02 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
03 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
04 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Cream Cheese Filling
11 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Glaze & Decoration
14 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
17 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
# How to Prepare:
01 - Whisk warm milk with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand until foamy, approximately 5-10 minutes.
02 - Combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and activated yeast mixture. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
03 - Knead dough by hand or with a mixer fitted with dough hook for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm location until doubled in bulk, about 1-1.5 hours.
04 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy while dough rises.
05 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x20 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread cream cheese filling along one long edge, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll tightly jelly-roll style from the filling edge and pinch seam to seal.
06 - Shape the roll into a ring, pinching ends together securely. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 45-60 minutes.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and immediately sprinkle with colored sugars in alternating purple, green, and gold sections.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brioche dough is impossibly tender and worth every minute of rising time
- That cream cheese filling turns an already special bread into something absolutely swoon worthy
02 -
- The dough will feel sticky at first but resist the urge to add too much flour or your cake will be tough
- Let the glaze set slightly before slicing or the colors will run together into a muddy mess
03 -
- Tuck the plastic baby in from the bottom after baking so you do not see the insertion point
- If the glaze is too thick add milk one teaspoon at a time until it pours like honey