King Cake

In 2013, MDS and I spent Super Bowl Week in New Orleans and had a great time. That year, the Super Bowl was just before Mardi Gras, so New Orleans was a great place to visit. And, Mardi Gras King Cake was everywhere in New Orleans. Traditionally, a bean or baby Jesus figurine is placed within the cake, and whoever finds it will have good luck or must buy the next cake. In Chicago, the paczki (a filled Polish donut) is the popular Mardi Gras treat and King Cake is not so easy to find, so I decided to make my own King Cake. This recipe is such a delicious treat, I might not wait until next Mardi Gras to make it again.

King Cake is a type of coffee cake that is more like a sweet bread than cake. This recipe uses a cinnamon filing, but other filings can be used and are readily found throughout New Orleans. Usually, it is topped with icing and then colored sugar. The New Orleans Mardi Gras colors are yellow, green, and purple. You can make colored sugar by adding food coloring to superfine sugar and spreading the color with the back of a spoon. But, I went a slightly easier route by using colored frosting and then sprinkling turbinado sugar on top of the frosting to give it that sugar crunch. So let the good times roll and give this recipe a try.

King Cake 

For the Dough:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 
• 8 ounces sour cream 
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided into 4 tablespoons & 1 tablespoon 
• Pinch of salt 
• 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast 
• ¼ cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees) 
• 1 egg 
• 3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour 

For the Filling:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter 

For the Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• 4 tablespoons water
• Food Coloring (optional)
• Sugar (optional) 

To Make the Dough: In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter, 4 tablespoons sugar, and salt; stir. Once the butter has melted, add the sour cream and heat to lukewarm, about 105 degrees. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, add ¼ cup warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar; stir. Allow the yeast to sit for about five minutes until it bubbles and becomes active. Once the yeast is active, whisk in the warm butter and sour cream mixture, egg, and 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Continue adding remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface lightly dusted with flour. Knead the dough until elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour by the teaspoon if needed.  Form the dough into a ball and cover in oil. Place the dough into a large. Cover with a wet towel, then allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 18 inches long by 14 inches wide. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the outside of the dough. Roll the cake up jellyroll-style and pinch the seams shut. Carefully move the roll to a parchment-line baking sheet, seam-side down. Bring the ends together to form an oval and press the edges together to completely seal the cake into an oval. Cover the cake with a towel and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown. Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before icing the cake.

To make the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and water until smooth until desired consistency.  Add food coloring, if desired. Spread the icing in alternating colors. Immediately sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Enjoy!