King Cake
King Cake is a popular dessert, eaten at Epiphany celebrations, and also associated with Mardi Gras celebrations. A tiny toy trinket (often a “baby”) is baked inside. The person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various “privileges and obligations.”
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
- 2 (¼ oz. Each) Packages of Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 C. Sugar
- 1 C. Warm Milk (about 110 Degrees °F)
- ½ C. Melted Butter
- 5 Egg Yolks
- 4 C. Flour
- 2 tsp. Sea Salt, Fine
- 1 tsp. Nutmeg, Ground
- 1 tsp. Lemon Zest
- 1 Package Cream Cheese
- ½ C. Powdered Sugar
Topping:
- 2 C. Powdered Sugar
- ¼ C. Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp. Milk
- 1 Tbsp. Colored Sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
- Gently combine yeast, sugar and warm milk together in a large bowl. Allow mixture to stand for about 10 minutes. Mixture should look creamy, and slightly foamy.
- Add egg yolks and melted butter to yeast mixture. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest. Beat the dry flour mix into the yeast-milk mixture in 1 cup additions.
- When the dough is mixed and coming together, turn the sticky mixture out onto a dry, floured surface and knead till smooth – this step should take about 8 minutes. Place kneaded dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and cover (with a slightly damp cloth works best). Allow the kneaded dough in its bowl to “rest” in a warm spot for about 2 hours. Expect the dough to double in size.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and a half cup of the powdered sugar. Mix well. In another small bowl, mix the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of milk. Set both bowls aside.
- Turn the dough onto the floured surface. Using a rolling in, roll the dough into a 6″x30″ rectangle. Spread cream cheese-powdered sugar mixture across the center of the rectangle. “Fold” the longer two edges of the dough together and seal.
- Using your hands, shape the dough into a long cylinder, and place on a greased baking sheet, seam down. Shape the dough into a “wreath” ring, and press the baby (if using) into the bottom, so that it is completely hidden by the dough.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Place a well-greased 2 pound cylindrical metal coffee can in the center of the ring, so the round wreath shape will hold up during baking. Cover the dough ring with a towel, and place in a warm place to let rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake cake for about 30 minutes. Remove coffee can from the middle of the cake, and allow cake to cool thoroughly. Drizzle top of cake with lemon juice/sugar mixture and festoon with sprinkles.
- We adapted this recipe from Allrecipes.com
Have you made this recipe? Share your experience with us in the comments below.