Mardi Gras King Cake (Printer-Friendly)
A colorful brioche-style cake featuring a sweet cinnamon swirl and vibrant sugar topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
03 - 1/4 cup warm water
04 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Icing
14 - 2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2–3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Decoration
17 - Purple, green, and gold decorating sugars
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine warm milk, warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Mix flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and activated yeast mixture. Stir to combine, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 7–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1–1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
04 - Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle.
05 - Brush melted butter over dough surface. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.
06 - Starting from the long edge, roll up dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal securely.
07 - Shape the log into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together to seal the circle completely.
08 - Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes until puffy and visibly expanded.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle evenly over cooled cake.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold decorating sugars in alternating bands while icing is still wet to ensure adherence.
12 - Insert a plastic baby figurine from underneath after baking and cooling, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brioche dough is incredibly tender, thanks to eggs and butter, yet sturdy enough to hold that gorgeous cinnamon swirl without collapsing into a gooey mess
- Watching people's faces light up when they spot the traditional purple, green, and gold sugars never gets old, it brings instant festivity to any gathering
02 -
- Do not rush the rising time, this enriched dough needs time to develop proper flavor and texture, speeding it up in a warm oven will ruin the texture
- Roll the dough tightly and pinch every seam securely, otherwise the cinnamon sugar will leak out during baking and create a mess in your oven
03 -
- Warm your eggs by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using, room temperature eggs incorporate into dough much more evenly
- Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking so the cake browns evenly, especially if your oven has hot spots