Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon (Printer-Friendly)
A soft brioche swirl with cinnamon-sugar and colorful icing for joyous occasions.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
02 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
→ Cinnamon Filling
09 - ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
12 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
→ Icing
13 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
17 - Plastic baby figurine (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine warm milk (110°F) and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes, or use a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
05 - While dough rises, combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, and softened butter in a medium bowl. Mix until a spreadable paste forms.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface, leaving a ½-inch border around edges.
07 - Starting from the long side, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal, then form into a ring by connecting ends and pinching together securely.
08 - Transfer ring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise until puffy and visibly expanded, about 45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time if too thick.
11 - Drizzle icing evenly over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in alternating diagonal stripes while icing is wet.
12 - Once completely cooled, optionally insert plastic baby figurine into the cake from underneath through a small slit in the bottom.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brioche dough stays incredibly soft for days, unlike other yeast breads that turn into rocks by morning
- That cinnamon sugar ribbon gets caramelized and gooey in spots, creating pockets of pure happiness
- People will literally text you weeks in advance asking when youre making it again
02 -
- Warm your milk to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit—any hotter and it kills the yeast, any cooler and nothing happens
- Don't skip the second rise or you'll end up with a dense bread instead of a fluffy cake
- The cinnamon paste needs to be spreadable but not runny—if it's too thick, add another teaspoon of softened butter
03 -
- The plastic baby is traditional but I've also used a dried bean or pecan when I couldn't find one
- If your kitchen is cold, let the dough rise in your oven with just the light on—it creates a perfect warm environment
- Leftover King Cake makes incredible French toast the next morning, just like bread pudding