Traditional King Cake
Traditional King Cake is a festive, sweet yeast ring bread decorated in vibrant purple, green, and gold sugar, perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras with a delicious cinnamon-spiced filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 2-3 tbsp milk (for glaze)
- Colored sanding sugar in purple, green, and gold
- Plastic baby figurine (optional, for tradition)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- While dough rises, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, softened butter, and pecans to prepare the filling.
- Once risen, punch down the dough and roll it into a large rectangle about 16×12 inches.
- Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log.
- Shape the rolled dough into a ring and pinch the ends together to seal.
- Place the ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise another 45-60 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake the King Cake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
- Mix powdered sugar with milk to create a glaze and drizzle over the cake.
- Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold colored sugars.
- Optionally, insert a small plastic baby figurine under the cake or inside a slice when serving.
Notes
For best results, serve the King Cake fresh the day it’s made. Reheat slices slightly before serving to enjoy the soft texture. Traditionally, a small plastic baby is hidden inside to bring good luck to the finder.