King Cake is a Mardi Gras Tradition and we can’t get enough of this Carnival Heritage dessert. Whether you make a few each year or order them directly to your house, it is a must during Mari Gras season. If you are looking to try your hand at making King Cake, we are here to help. Learn how to make a simple King Cake with the steps below:
Ingredients
1 loaf Frozen Challah or Brioche dough
Cinnamon Filling
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Icing
2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ tsp lemon juice
Decoration
Purple, green and yellow sugars
Miniature plastic baby
Steps
Defrost your dough according to the instructions (if using a Challah loaf that is already braided, you will need to unbraid the loaf, before it is fully defrosted).
While dough is defrosting, prepare the filling by mixing Roll dough out into 10 x 20 inch rectangle, and divide lengthwise into two narrow rectangles.
Spread the filling on each portion of the dough and roll each portion of dough into narrow rope. Press the tops of the strips together and twist the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the twist so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the edges together.
Transfer the ring to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing. To hide the baby in the cake, if desired, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in after the cake has cooled.
Icing: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk and almond until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin).
Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors. And don’t forget to place the plastic baby on the cake!
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Michiel is a Black Southern Belle living a lowcountry life. I love all things fashion, home decor and southern! When I am not running around doing fun stuff for Black Southern Belle, I live in antique stores and have a minor obsession with historic homes :)
