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King Cake: The Best Traditional Recipe

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This traditional king cake is a soft, buttery brioche dough with a hint of cinnamon, baked into a festive ring and topped with a generous drizzle of sweet icing. Brightly colored sugars in purple, green, and gold give it the signature Mardi Gras look. Whether you keep it simple or fill it with cream cheese, praline, or fruit preserves, this homemade version is sure to be the star of your celebration. When you add in the baby Jesus afterward it adds to the tradition and excitement!

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour 

Full Batch Cinnamon Filling Option

  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted 
 

Frosting

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Dough

  • Heat milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cool down until it hits 120° to 130°F on a thermometer.
  • In a kitchen aid bowl, combine the warm water and the yeast. Stir and let sit until the yeast is foamy.
  • Once the yeast is foamy, add the milk mixture, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of flour. Stir well.
  • Place on the kitchen aid mixer and continue adding flour while kneading with the dough hook. Be sure to do this one cup at a time. 
  • Knead for 5 minutes on medium speed or 8-10 minutes by hand to create a very soft dough that starts coming away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Place onto floured surface and hand knead for a few minutes. Then clean and lightly oil the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough should be doubled in size.

Filling

  • Combine all ingredients well. Set aside. 

Assembly

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • After doubling in size, punch the down. Divide it in half. * I put the second cake dough in a ziplock and placed in the freezer.
  • Roll out the remaining dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
  • Crumble the cinnamon filling onto the dough and roll into a long cylinder, just like when making cinnamon rolls. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet very carefully and shape into an oval, pinching the ends together.
  • Preheat your oven to  350°F. Cover and let rise for forty-five minutes.
  • Bake for twenty-five minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely.

Frosting

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.
  • Stick a plastic baby figurine into the cake, pushing it in to hide it. Drizzle the frosting over the king cake and sprinkle with the sugars.
  • Enjoy!

Find it online: https://harvestranch.co/king-cake-recipe/