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King cake iced with purple, green, and yellow sprinkles

King Cake for Mardi Gras

Norma Beymer
Easy King Cake recipe for Mardi Gras with cinnamon sugar filling, icing, and optional sprinkles (and yes, you can add a plastic baby)
Prep Time 1 hour
Resting Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Baking

Ingredients
  

King Cake

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water (not hot!)
  • 1 package yeast 2-1/4 teaspoons
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2-1/2-3 cups flour

Filling

  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2+1/8 cups sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter

Icing

  • 2 tsp water
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar sifted
  • Purple, green, and yellow food coloring optional
  • Sprinkles optional

Instructions
 

King Cake Dough

  • Scald milk (see my detailed instructions). Stir in sugar and butter until melted. Cool to lukewarm, about 110 degrees.
  • Put lukewarm water in a large bowl and sprinkle yeast on top.
  • Add milk and 2 beaten eggs and mix.
  • Add salt and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour one cup at a time.
  • When it begins to form a ball, put it onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
  • Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a wet towel. Rest 1-1/2 hours until doubled in size.
  • Punch down and roll into a 14″ x 18″ rectangle and brush with butter, leaving 1" un-buttered on all sides.
  • Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the dough.
  • Place a Ball Jar or ramekin in the middle of your baking dish. Roll up from one end and bend into a circle around the jar, tucking ends together.
  • Cover with a damp towel and allow to double in size. See my instructions for a special tip.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until browned. Remove the jar from the center.
  • If you're adding a plastic baby, cut a slit on the bottom and tuck the baby inside after the king cake is baked and cooled.

Icing

  • Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of water and mix.
  • Continue mixing in the rest of the water until it reaches a drizzing consistency.
  • Drizzle on top of the king cake and decorate with sprinkles. Alternatively, you can dye the icing with food coloring before drizzling.