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King Cake

Name: King Cake
Ingredients: 1 cup milk (heated to 110-115°F); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast; 1 cup unsalted butter (melted); 5 large egg yolks (slightly beaten); 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg; 4 cups bread flour; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; Colored sugar or sprinkles (green, gold and purple)

No need to order in a King Cake to celebrate Mardi Gras when you can bake your own at home! This traditional recipe combines a rich brioche style dough with a sweet cinnamon and sugar filling.

Yield 2 medium cakes or 8 mini cakes

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Ingredients

Dough

1 cup milk (heated to 110-115°F)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
5 large egg yolks (slightly beaten)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 cups bread flour

Filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Colored sugar or sprinkles (green, gold and purple)

Instructions

In a large mixer, combine all the ingredients and mix until combined using the paddle attachment. Switch to dough hook attachment; knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes, adding additional flour (1 tablespoon at a time) as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Place the dough in a greased bowl, over and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the dough from the bowl and gently deflate. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a long rectangle, approximately 24×6-inches.
Combine the filling ingredients and sprinkle generously over both rectangles.
From the long edge roll the dough tightly and pinch the edges together to create a tight seam. If making the smaller king cakes, cut the strip into 6 inch segments. Take each segment and form into a ring gently pinching the ends together to seal. Place the ring(s) onto a parchment-lined sheet pan(s). Cover and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the sheet pan(s) into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Combine the icing ingredients until smooth, thinning with additional milk if necessary and drizzle over cooled cake. Sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles and serve.

Notes

Photo by Matt Weber.