King Cake for Mardi Gras

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A delicious enriched yeast dough filled with bourbon soaked raisins mixed with a cinnamon crumble all topped off with a tasty cinnamon glaze.

I never really celebrated Mardi Gras until I became an adult.  While I always gave up something for Lent as a child we never really did anything for Fat Tuesday.

What is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is a festive celebration that occurs before the start of Lent.  It is most famously associated with New Orleans, Louisiana, but it is celebrated in various ways around the world, particularly in regions with Catholic traditions.

While I’ve never been to an actual Mardi Gras celebration I’ve been making festive Mardi Gras food for the last 15-20 years.   Most of it is in the sweet category but I’ve even made a few savory dishes.  I even had my King Cake Cocktail featured in a magazine!

I’ve made these colorful King Cake Pancakes several years in a row now.  I also really love this Bananas Foster Bread.  For an appetizer my Fried Green Tomatoes with New Orleans Style Remoulade Sauce can’t be beat!   Round out your meal with Skillet Jambalaya.

However, one of the first dishes I ever made was a King Cake.   It’s not the easiest dish in the world to make and the photos I posted way back in 2011 are awful but the cake was really delicious.

What is a King Cake?

A King Cake is a traditional cake associated with Mardi Gras.  It is named after the three kings (or wise men) who visited baby Jesus.  The cake is usually made in a ring shape to represent a crown.  It’s usually decorated with green, purple, and gold sugar which are the colors of Mardi Gras representing faith, justice, and power.

The King cake is made with an enriched yeast dough.   This type of dough is made with yeast, milk, butter, eggs, and sugar.  It’s a sweet bread dough that makes this taste like more of a cake than a bread.

While the King Cake is often filled it doesn’t have to be.  The filling can be fruit, cinnamon, cream cheese, or other sweet fillings.

I decided to make mine with a cinnamon filling mixed with bourbon soaked raisins and dried cranberries. You could use either raisins or craisins, you don’t have to use both.   You can also soak the fruit in orange juice instead of bourbon.

Ingredients:

• whole milk ( you can also use low fat or plant based milk)
• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer-I think the salt helps balance the sweetness)
• dry active yeast
• warm water (between 110-115 degrees)
• granulated sugar
• egg
• salt (can omit if you used salted butter)
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• all purpose flour
• bourbon (or orange juice if you don’t want to use alcohol)
• raisins or dried cranberries
• brown sugar (I used light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar)

To make the dough combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat until the butter has melted.   Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the yeast.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.   After 5 minutes add the butter and milk mixture, egg, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and mix well.

Slowly beat in the flour until a dough forms.  Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth.  Cover and let rise 1-2 hours until doubled.

What should I use to cover my bowl?

The best thing to cover your bowl with is plastic wrap or a bread dough cap because it traps the heat and moisture in the bowl. A kitchen towel is often used but it isn’t great because it allows the heat and moisture to escape quickly and may add extra time to your rising.

This cake smelled wonderful as it was rising.  The spices really scented the air. However, the bread didn’t rise nearly as much as I wanted it too.

What do I do if my dough doesn’t double in size?

Don’t worry!   As long as it is rising somewhat it should be ok.   My dough didn’t double during either rise but it rose and baked up beautifully in the oven.   If it doesn’t rise at all you may want to check the date on your yeast but if it has risen some, it should be fine.

Punch the dough down and roll into a 10 x 16 rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with the filling. Roll it up like a jellyroll and bring the ends together and pinch closed.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Make cuts every inch along the dough then cover and let rise 1 hour.   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

The cake smelled amazing as it baked.  The filling was sweet and sticky almost like the filling in a cinnamon roll.  It came out of the oven golden brown and looking perfect.

The dough was slightly sweet and soft but the filling is the star of the show.  It’s sweet and spiced with hints of bourbon which is perfect for Mardi Gras!  I finished the cake is off with a light cinnamon glaze and sprinkled with green, purple, and gold colored sugars.

Do I have to use a cinnamon glaze?

No!   If the spices in the dough and filling are enough for you just make a powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk glaze and pour it over the top of the cake.  If you don’t want to use the sprinkles you can divide the glaze into 3 bowls and color one purple, one green, and one gold, and pour the different colors on top of the cake.

While I didn’t hide a plastic baby in the middle of the cake it is traditional to do so.  The person who gets the piece with the baby usually wins a prize.

King Cake

King Cake is a sweet yeast bread filled with bourbon soaked fruit and a cinnamon crumble.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 baking sheet
• 1 small saucepan
• 1 Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1 package dry active yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water 110 degrees
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons bourbon
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• green purple, and gold sprinkles

Instructions

• Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl combine warm water, 1 Tablespoon of sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes or until creamy and starting to bubble.
• Add the room temperature milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Whisk in the egg. Mix in the remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
• Slowly add in the flour, mixing after each addition, until the dough comes together in a ball.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes,until smooth.
• Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Turn over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot for 2 hours or until dough has doubled.
• In a small bowl combine the raisins and dried cranberries with the bourbon. Let sit until ready to make the filling.
• To make the filling combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl. Dump any bourbon not absorbed by the raisin mixture then add the raisin mixture to the brown sugar. Pour melted butter over top and mix until crumbly.
• Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10 x 16 rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with the filling.
• Start from the long end and roll up like a jellyroll. Roll as tightly as possible. Bring the ends together and pinch closed, forming a circle. I used a bit of water to help seal the dough. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
• With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the dough ring at 1 inch intervals. Cover the dough and rise again for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the glaze whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Pour over top of the cake and sprinkle with the gold, purple, and green sprinkles.
• Cut and serve.

Notes

A Hezzi-D original recipe

Delicious Carnival Recipes

• Banana Crepes from Art of Natural Living
• Coconut Curry Mussels from Crazy For Couponing
• Jambalaya from That Recipe
• King Cake from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• New Orleans Style Beignets from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Saffron Baked Beignets from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

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