Description
Traditional King Cake made with sweet yeast dough, warm spices, and classic Mardi Gras icing, perfect for carnival season celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 105°F
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 5 egg yolks, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange or lemon juice
- Green, purple, and yellow sprinkles
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 105°F and pour into a large bowl
- Whisk in sugar and yeast and let sit until bubbly
- Add melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla, and zest
- Mix in flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and knead until smooth
- Cover dough and let rise until doubled in size
- Divide dough into three ropes and braid loosely
- Form braid into a circle and tuck a bean or baby inside
- Let rest uncovered for 30 minutes
- Bake at 350°F until golden brown
- Cool completely on a wire rack
- Whisk icing ingredients until thick
- Drizzle icing over cake and decorate with sprinkles
Notes
- Do not use an actual baby inside the cake
- Insert the token after baking if preferred
- Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 135mg