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Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe

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  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Cajun/Creole

Description

This Mardi Gras King Cake recipe reveals the traditional process of making a soft, cinnamon-spiced dough wrapped around a creamy sweet filling, baked to golden perfection and decorated with vibrant purple, green, and yellow sugar to celebrate the festive spirit of Mardi Gras. Perfect for holiday gatherings or to impress guests with a classic New Orleans dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling

  • 1 cup cream cheese, softened

For the Topping

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 cup purple sugar
  • 1/2 cup green sugar
  • 1/2 cup yellow sugar

Instructions

  1. Dissolve Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is activated.
  2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, softened butter, salt, ground cinnamon, and eggs. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
  3. Add Yeast Mixture: Pour the yeast and milk mixture into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well to incorporate all components.
  4. Add Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing continuously until a soft dough forms that is slightly sticky but manageable.
  5. Knead Dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for approximately 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  6. First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  7. Preheat Oven: Before shaping, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking.
  8. Roll and Fill Dough: Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the softened cream cheese evenly over the dough’s surface to create the filling.
  9. Shape the Cake: Carefully roll the dough tightly into a log, then shape it into a circular ring, pinching the ends together to seal.
  10. Second Rise: Place the dough ring on a greased baking sheet, cover it, and let it rise again for 30 minutes to allow it to puff up.
  11. Bake: Bake the King Cake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top and cooked through.
  12. Cool and Decorate: Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely before icing. Mix powdered sugar with milk to create a glaze, spread over the cake, and decorate generously with purple, green, and yellow sugar to represent Mardi Gras colors.

Notes

  • Ensure the milk used to dissolve yeast is warm, not hot, to activate the yeast properly without killing it.
  • Kneading dough properly develops gluten which gives the cake its signature texture.
  • The cream cheese filling adds a luscious moisture contrast to the spiced dough.
  • Allowing the dough to rise twice improves its lightness and flavor.
  • The colored sugars used for decoration symbolize justice (purple), faith (green), and power (yellow), traditional Mardi Gras colors.
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oven temperature for best baking results.
  • Cool the cake completely before glazing to prevent the icing from melting off.

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Find it online: https://mydelicioushome.com/mardi-gras-king-cake-recipe/