Mardi Gras King Cake (Print Version)
A traditional King Cake with creamy filling and colorful sugar, perfect for festive celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
02 - 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
08 - ½ tsp almond extract
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
→ Cream Cheese Filling
11 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - ½ cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Sugar
14 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
15 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
→ Icing
16 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
17 - 2–3 tbsp milk
18 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
→ Decoration
19 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars
20 - 1 plastic baby or dried bean (optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Combine warm milk and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and nutmeg to the yeast mixture. Mix until combined.
03 - Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand or with a mixer for 5–7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
05 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar.
06 - Roll dough into a 10x24-inch rectangle. Spread cream cheese filling down the center third and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
07 - Fold one long side over the filling, then the other, pinching seams to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape into a ring, pinching ends together.
08 - Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake.
11 - Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars in alternating sections. Once completely cool, insert the plastic baby into the underside if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cream cheese filling transforms this from a sweet bread into something absolutely decadent
- Watching people hunt for the baby in their slice brings more joy than youd expect
- It makes your whole house smell like a French Quarter bakery
02 -
- Dont skip the second rise or youll end up with a dense bread instead of a light cake
- Seal the seams really well or the cream cheese will leak out during baking
- Wait until the cake is completely cool before inserting the baby
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the dough from seizing up and make everything blend smoothly
- A light dusting of flour on your hands keeps the dough from sticking while you shape it