Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable)
Soft brioche dough swirled with cinnamon sugar, topped with vibrant icing and colored sugars.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
02 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
→ Cinnamon Filling
09 - ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
12 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
→ Icing
13 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
17 - Plastic baby figurine (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Combine warm milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until blended. Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
05 - While dough rises, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and softened butter in a medium bowl. Mix until a spreadable paste forms.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface, leaving a ½-inch border around edges.
07 - Starting from a long side, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal. Shape into a ring by bringing ends together and pinching to join securely.
08 - Transfer cake to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise until puffy and slightly expanded, about 45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add additional milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
11 - Drizzle icing evenly over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in alternating diagonal stripes while icing is wet.
12 - If using traditional plastic baby, insert it into the underside of the cooled cake before serving. The person who finds the baby in their slice hosts next year's celebration.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Its basically breakfast disguised as a celebration, which is honestly my favorite category of food
- The dough is surprisingly forgiving, even if your braiding skills leave something to be desired
- People will think you spent hours on something that mostly just required patience and a good playlist
02 -
- Under proofing will give you dense bread instead of pillowy cake, so be patient with those rise times
- Rolling the dough too thin will make the filling burst out, aim for about a quarter inch thickness
- The cake continues baking slightly from residual heat, so pull it out when its golden, not when its practically burnt
03 -
- Bread flour will give you a chewier texture if that is what you prefer over the softer traditional version
- A cream cheese layer under the cinnamon filling is not traditional but absolutely nobody will complain about it