Mardi Gras King Cake
Celebrate Mardi Gras with this traditional King Cake, featuring a sweet, braided dough topped with colorful purple, green, and gold sugar that symbolizes the festive spirit of New Orleans.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- 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 active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk (for icing)
- Colored sanding sugar in purple, green, and gold
- Plastic baby figurine (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and the remaining sugar; mix well.
- Gradually add flour, salt, and cinnamon to form a soft dough.
- 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 about 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle, spread brown sugar and pecans evenly over the surface.
- Roll the dough tightly into a log, then form it into a ring, pinching the ends to seal.
- Place the ring on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Mix powdered sugar with milk to create a drizzle icing, and spread over the cake.
- Decorate generously with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.
- Optionally, hide a plastic baby inside the cake before serving to continue tradition.
Notes
For an extra festive touch, serve the King Cake slightly warm with a cup of coffee or café au lait. You can also add cream cheese filling for a richer flavor.