King Cake

Connie K's Note:

After making this for the office Mardi Gras party, I got requests to make this for birthdays, baseball's opening day, everything and anything. The dough, from Southern Living, is very rich and easy to work. The cream cheese filling is wonderful! I usually make the frosting all yellow, coloring the sugars the three colors. You can adjust the amount of food colors for your own preference. I like my colors a little more intense. I also slip in a plastic baby after baking from the underside of the cake.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 28

Yield: 2.0 cakes

Dough

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1⁄3; cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (¼ ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• ½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
• 2 eggs
• 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour , divided

Cream Cheese Filling

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese , softened (16 ounces total)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Colored Frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter , melted
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 2 drops blue food coloring
• 2 drops red food coloring

Colored sugars

• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 2 drops blue food coloring

Directions:

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts; Cool mixture to 100 degrees to 110 degrees.
2. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes; Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth; Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top; Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese until smooth; Add egg and blend well; Add sugar, salt and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy; Set aside.
5. Punch dough down; divide in half; Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle; Spread half each of cream cheese mixture on dough; Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side; Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet; Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and punching edges together to seal; Repeat with remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
8. Decorate with bands of Colored Frostings, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.
9. COLORED FROSTINGS: Stir together powdered sugar and melted butter; Add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla; Divide frosting into 3 batches, tinting 1 green, 1 yellow, and combining red and blue food coloring for purple frosting.
10. COLORED SUGARS: Place 1/2 cup sugar and drop of green food coloring in a zip-top plastic bag; seal; Shake and squeeze vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar; Repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow food coloring; For purple, combine 1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring before adding to remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

Reviews

[Jenn from New Orleans S]

I'm from New Orleans and have had pretty much every bakery's king cake. This recipe could easily compete with the top ones! My husband said this one was the best he's ever had, and I'd have to agree. A couple of changes I made - added a few drops of almond extract to the icing and used about half the amount the recipe called for. I prefer a lightly drizzled icing (just enough so the sugar sticks). Also, right before adding the filling, I lightly sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the rolled out dough. I will definitely make this again!

[Acceptance]

I hadn't baked anything for work in awhile - everyone on diets, but apparently it was noticed and I was asked to maybe bring a King Cake for Fat Tuesday this year. Based on the ingredients and reviews I chose this recipe and it was the right one! I used half cake flour and half all-purpose. My mishap was I decided to use my bread-maker for the dough which rose so beautifully it overflowed! I saw some had trouble with the filling being soft, so I made that first and let it chill in the fridge. About a half hour before I was ready for it I brought it back out to soften up a little. I rolled the dough out on floured plastic wrap and then spread the now slightly softened cream cheese filling on the soft dough. Someone suggest adding cinnamon and sugar too so I made a cinnamon filling to split between the two cakes. sprinkling a row of it across the cream cheese filling. Then with the help of the plastic wrap, rolled it up and transferred the first one to a cookie sheet, placed a small oven-proof sauce pan in the middle to hold the shape and circled it with the dough. The second one I placed in a bundt pan (my apologies to the purists!) But it went around perfectly and make a great presentation. I snuck a sliver from both to be certain they were baked through and they both came out fantastic! Since I'm off on Tuesday, they are going to work with me on Monday - but by Tuesday I'm sure we'll all be feeling fat - and happy!

[BreadBkr]

really good! (but a little messy) I also only made 1/2 the icing the second time I made this recipe, and used it more sparingly like a glaze.