King Cake is a fun, sweet classic Mardi Gras treat stuffed with a nutty, chewy, and spiced filling, and for one lucky person the king baby.
As simple as making a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, this festive treat is part Cake, part Bakery Treat, and all fun! Make it for Mardi Gras, or whenever you want an extra special dessert or breakfast.
Sabrina’s King Cake Recipe
While there are many variations of this special cake found around the world, the most well-known by far is the Louisiana-style King Cake. A brightly colored pastry that’s more like a cinnamon roll cake. It features a soft, lightly sweetened dough wrapped around a rich, spiced filling, then finished with a smooth, sugary icing for a classic festive treat.
Ingredients
Cake Dough:
- 3/4 cup whole milk , warm (110 degrees)
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 3 1/2 cups flour , divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
King Cake Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup pecans , chopped
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 1 plastic king cake baby figurine
To Finish:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup purple sanding sugar
- 1/4 cup green sanding sugar
- 1/4 cup yellow sanding sugar
Instructions
King Cake Dough:
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter to 110 degrees (warm to touch).
- Add the yeast and milk to a stand mixer and whisk, then let sit for one minute.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg and egg to the stand mixer.
- Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on speed 3-4 (low to medium).
- Let it go for 5-7 minutes, you want the dough to become a ball that doesn’t stick to the walls of the bowl.
- If you find sticking, add flour ¼ cup at a time until it pulls away (no more than another cup).
- Take the dough out, grease a large bowl and put the dough in the bowl.
- Cover the dough with a dish towel and let rise for two hours.
King Cake Filling:
- In a medium sized bowl mix the brown sugar, raisins, pecans, flour, cinnamon and melted butter, until well combined.
- Punch down the dough.
- Using a large even surface, add ½ cup of flour and roll out the dough onto the surface to coat the rolling pin and the surface.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about a ½ inch thick (if your space is limited do this in two halves).
- The dough rectangle should be about 12″ x 18″.
- Spread the filling mixture over the dough.
- Add the plastic baby somewhere in the filling for the party surprise.
To Finish:
- Roll up the dough from the bottom up, rolling it the shorter distance.
- Add the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bring the ends of the dough together to form a circle.
- Pinch the ends together to seal.
- Slice through the dough, just under halfway through to expose part of the filling, about every 3-inches apart.
- Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Mix powdered sugar and water together until smooth, then pour over the cooled cake and top with purple, green and yellow sanding sugars in sections.
- Note: Classically the colors are kept separate on the king cakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 138g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg
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