Mardi Gras King Cake (Print Version)
A colorful brioche-style cake filled with cinnamon swirl and decorated with festive sugars.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk, warm
03 - 1/4 cup water, warm
04 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Icing
14 - 2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Decoration
17 - Purple, green, and gold decorating sugars
# Steps:
01 - Combine warm milk, warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Mix flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Stir to combine, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
04 - Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Brush melted butter over dough surface. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.
05 - Starting from the long edge, roll up dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal. Shape log into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together to seal the circle completely.
06 - Cover loosely with plastic wrap or towel and let rise 45-60 minutes until puffy and noticeably expanded.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°F. Cool completely on a wire rack.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
09 - Drizzle icing evenly over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle colored sugars in alternating purple, green, and gold bands while icing is still wet to ensure adhesion.
10 - Optionally insert a plastic baby figurine from underneath after baking and cooling. Ensure guests are warned about the hidden surprise.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brioche dough is impossibly tender and worth every minute of the wait
- That cinnamon sugar ribbon running through the middle creates the most irresistible aroma in your kitchen
- Decorating with those Carnival colors turns baking into a genuine celebration
02 -
- The temperature of your liquids makes or breaks this recipe use a thermometer if youre unsure
- Dough rising time varies with temperature and humidity, look for the double rather than watching the clock
- Rolling the dough too loose gives you gaping holes too tight and the filling squeezes out
03 -
- Rotate your baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning
- If the ends come unsealed during baking, use a little icing to glue them back together