It’s Mardi Gras time! Mardi Gras conjures up images of fun, frivolity and feasting and no Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without a colorful Mardi Gras King Cake. Why buy a King Cake when you can make your own, better-tasting, moist, and tender King Cake this year?
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What is a Mardi Gras King Cake
A brioche or sweet roll dough is braided, baked in a circle, and decorated with icing and purple, green and gold sugars. Kind of like a crown-shaped cinnamon roll all dressed up for a party. The shape of the King Cake, with its distinctive crown design, symbolizes the three wise men or kings who traveled to visit Jesus. The colors of the King Cake (also the traditional colors of Mardi Gras celebrations) are also symbolic, with purple symbolizing justice, green representing faith, and gold signifying power or prosperity.
My sister has lived in Louisiana for many years and she talks about all the fabulous King Cakes she’s had over the years. So when Betty Crocker offered me the opportunity to develop a Mardi Gras King Cake recipe for their site, it was the perfect opportunity for me to bake this scrumptious bread/coffee cake.
My recipe uses Quick Rise yeast which eliminates the time consuming first rise in many brioche recipes. My cake is filled with a traditional cinnamon sugar filling, but it would be fabulous with a cream cheese filling or fruit filling as well.
Traditionally a King Cake has a tiny plastic baby figurine, representing baby Jesus, hidden inside the cake. The practice of hiding a baby figurine in the cake is rooted in the religious story of the Epiphany, which celebrates the arrival of the three wise men or kings to visit the baby Jesus. Tradition says that whoever finds the baby in their piece of cake will have good luck and prosperity, and the finder is often expected to host the party next year or provide the next cake.
Just like when you bake cinnamon rolls, some of the filling will leak out onto the bottom of the pan. Be sure and bake it with some parchment paper or a silicone baking mat underneath it, so it’s easy to clean up.
If you have questions about how to braid the King cake, be sure and watch the video.
Ingredients
- Flour: this recipe uses all-purpose flour which results in a good structure and texture and the perfect amount of chewy!
- Yeast: I use quick-rise yeast because it allows the dough to rise faster, reduces the overall preparation time, and simplifies the recipe.
- Milk: the recipe uses warm milk to help activate the yeast and promote dough rising – giving the cake its fluffy texture. Any type of milk can be used for King Cake, I prefer whole milk which tends to add flavor and tenderness to the dough. However, if you prefer a lighter or lower-fat cake, you can use low-fat or nonfat milk instead.
- Granulated sugar: this is what gives the brioche or sweet roll dough its delightful sweetness!
- Brown sugar: this sweetens up the cinnamon filling.
- Powdered sugar: powdered or confectioners sugar is used for the icing.
- Colored sugars: green, purple, and yellow or gold sanding sugar or sprinkles (or both!) are used to decorate the cake. If you are like me, finding colored sugar (or a tiny plastic baby for that matter) may be a little hard. I found a kit online selling all three colors and the plastic babies. However, you can also make your own colored sugar at home if you prefer. You will need about ⅛ cup of each color. In a jar with a tight fitting lid add ⅛ cup granulated sugar and a couple drops of food coloring. Place the lid tightly on the bottle and shake vigorously until the sugar is evenly dyed.
- Eggs: this recipe uses two whole eggs.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Vanilla, cinnamon, and salt
How to Make Mardi Gras King Cake
This recipe is an absolute delight to make and will take approximately three hours to complete, with the majority of the time being spent waiting for the dough to rise. Don’t worry though, each step is simple and easy to follow. Let’s get started with these step-by-step instructions:
To make the dough, start by combining 2 ½ cups of flour and the quick-rise yeast in a stand mixing bowl – using the paddle attachment. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is between 120º to 130º.
Pour in the liquids and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time and continue mixing until a sticky dough forms. Clean off the paddle and switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, a little at a time, as needed to make a soft dough.
Then, add the softened butter a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed. Knead for eight minutes on low, ensuring that the dough completely clears the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough seems too dry, spritz it with water from a spray bottle a couple of times. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl, turning it once so the greased surface is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, make the cinnamon filling. Combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon, then combine the butter with the cinnamon mixture and mix well.
To assemble the cake, roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough, then fold the dough in half, covering the filling. Pat the dough down firmly so it will stick together.
Cut the dough into three long strips lengthwise using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, then press the tops of the three strips together and braid them. Press the ends together at the bottom, then gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle and press the ends together.
Transfer the dough ring to a parchment-lined, silicone mat-lined, or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350º. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, which should take between 20 and 35 minutes. (It should feel firm to the touch and have an internal temperature of about 190°.) Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before placing it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing. Now is a good time to gently push the plastic baby down into a fold of the cake or make a slice in the bottom and stick it in there.
To make the icing, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. You may need to add additional milk if the mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if it’s too thin. You are looking for a smooth, pourable consistency. Spoon the icing over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on the green, purple and gold colored sugar, alternating between the three colors. Give each anxiously waiting guest a slice of cake and see who gets the baby!
Storing Leftovers
To store leftover King Cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it for up to 2 months. To freeze, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a resealable freezer bag. Thaw frozen King Cake in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
King Cake is typically made from a brioche dough – a rich and buttery French pastry dough.
In the traditional Mardi Gras colors used on a King Cake, purple symbolizes justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power.
King Cake tastes sweet and rich, with a soft and fluffy texture. The filling is typically flavored with cinnamon, but may have a filling of cream cheese, fruit, or pecan praline. The cake is covered in sweet green, gold, and purple sugar or icing
Of course, you don’t have to live in Louisiana to enjoy this Mardi Gras King Cake. It’s been nine years since I first posted the recipe, and I’ve had comments from people all across the US, many who have Southern roots and celebrate with a King Cake this time of year. Mel said:
I’m from New Orleans but live in a different city at the moment. I was really missing home during this Mardi Gras season and had never made a king cake before I found this recipe. Tried it and it was AMAZING! Thank you so much for this authentic recipe. You not only helped me make a bomb king cake, but allowed me to share it with my out-of-town friends and brought back some MG memories through this perfect recipe.
I hope you’ll give it a try too! I’ve added a video to show you how easy it is to make.
More Celebration Desserts You Might Like:
Pithivier (Galette De Rois / King Cake), Barbara Bakes
Easy Beignets, Barbara Bakes
Mardi Gras Cupcakes, Java Cupcake
Pull-Apart Mardi Gras King Cake, Joy the Baker
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Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 package 2 ¼ teaspoons Quick Rise yeast
- 1 cup warm milk 120º to 130º
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, cut into 12 pieces
Cinnamon Filling:
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered or confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Decoration:
- dark green, purple, and yellow or gold sugars about ⅛ cup of each
- miniature plastic baby
Instructions
Dough:
- Mix 2 ½ cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment, on low for about 30 seconds.
- Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and milk is between 120º to 130º.
- With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed to make a soft dough.
- Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed. Knead for eight minutes on low. The dough should completely clear the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cinnamon Filling:
- While the dough is chilling, make cinnamon filling. Combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Combine butter with cinnamon mixture and mix well.
Assembly:
- Roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. Fold the dough in half covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will stick together.
- Cut dough into three long strips lengthwise. Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom.
- Gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the ends together.
- Transfer the ring to a parchment lined, silicone mat lined, or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350º. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20–35 minutes. (It should feel firm to the touch, and have an internal temperature of about 190°.) Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
- Gently press the miniature plastic baby into a crease of the cake, deep enough to covered by the icing.
Icing:
- In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin).
- Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin It:
Holly
Making two of these tonight. My dough rose while chilling, but now that the rings are formed, it’s not really rising. Help!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Holly – if it rose before, it sounds like your yeast is working and probably just needs more time. I’d just give it more time.
Diana
Hi Barbara! I used your king cake recipe and made mini ones this year! I made a smaller one last year by halving the recipe. I made my own colored sugars by using turmeric for the gold, freeze dried blueberries for the purple and natural vegetable green coloring made from spinach for green. I just ground up the blueberries and mixed with the sugar. For turmeric just a pinch to sugar and add a drop of water then let it air dry.
This recipe is outstanding and I was born and raised in New Orleans! Brings back wonderful memories of eating king cake. Thanks so much for this recipe. Happy Mardi Gras tomorrow ⚜
Barbara Schieving
So glad you loved it and it brought back fond memories. Thanks so much Diana for sharing your tips for making your own colored sugar. Great idea!
megan
This was the best king cake i’ve ever had
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Megan – so great to hear!
Shelby
I must say, you’re King cake is absolutely delicious. I’m making my third one today. Do you have any tips to keep the cinnamon from cooking out?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Shelby – so nice to hear. You are going to lose some of the cinnamon filling no matter what you do because of the way it’s braided. If you don’t braid it, you’ll trap more of the filling inside. You can press the filling into the dough before you cut it. I’ve seen recipes that have you cover the filling with parchment paper and very lightly rolling the filling with a rolling pin to press the filling in to the dough. Let me know if you try it.
Shelby
Will do! Thank you so much!
ChefNeo
Mam i don’t know you or where your from but this recipe is the bomb! We are all tearing into it as we speak. I couldnt wait until the morning to give you kudos so im doing now. KUDOS! KUDOS!KUDOS! And P.S, im from New Orleans so I know what its supposed to taste like and this is definitely it! Thank you so much for sharing honey you have a blessed day!!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Chef Neo – Now that is a fabulous review! I’m so glad if was a hit with all.
Jillian
Hi Barbara! I’m so excited to try this recipe for king cake! I was born and raised in Nola and moved to California 4 years ago. I was wondering…if I only have active dry yeast, will it make a huge difference in the results of my king cake? This is my first time making a king cake, and I don’t want to mess it up! Thanks!!!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jillian – you can definitely use active dry yeast with great results. Your rise time will be a little longer though. Enjoy!
Jillian
Hi Barbara,
I just wanted to let you know that I made 2 of your king cakes and brought them to my office in San Francisco for Mardi Gras day. They were a HUGE success! My boyfriend even told me that they taste just as good, if not better, than the king cakes he’s had in New Orleans! I just want to say THANK YOU again. I will never use another king cake recipe other than yours!! Thanks again for making this NOLA girl feel like she had a piece of home!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jillian – thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you and everyone loved my recipe. I’m glad that I could be a little part of your celebration. One day I’ll have to spend Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Taylor Brantley
My son’s birthday is tomorrow and so I went today to get all the ingredients to make this gem! Your directions are amazing and judging by others comments I will not be disappointed! I was born and raised in Louisiana and now live in Japan so buying one is not an option, sadly. But what’s better?! I get to make this cake! Thank you so much!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Taylor – how fun to be making a King Cake in Japan. Sounds like the perfect birthday cake.
Cristin
So, I made this today and it is delicious, BUT I lost half the filling oozing out the sides while it baked… Where did I go wrong? Help!!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Cristin – so glad you enjoyed it. You probably didn’t do anything wrong. Whenever you make cinnamon rolls, a lot of the filling bubbles out of the bottom of the rolls. It does help if you press the dough firm together before cutting it in to strips.
Hilary
I tried this recipe today, first time ever making a king cake, and it’s amazing. I didn’t give it a chance to cool because I just had to taste it! I can’t say enough, just how delicious it is. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Suzette
On my hunt for a king cake recipe I ran across this one and decided to make it. The brioche dough was amazing and the directions were so easy to follow. I’m a chef and lived in New Orleans for twenty five years and this honestly was just like the ones ( if not better) from the Big Easy. Because I’m used to having a king cake with a filling I follow the directions from this blog for a praline and cream cheese filling. http://you-should-make-this.blogspot.com/2011/03/king-cake-with-praline-cream-cheese.html
With doing the filling I couldn’t braid it but it still tasted and looked amazing.
It was such a huge hit with my family, co-workers and my native New Orleans friends I’ve made four of them. Thank you for taking the time to perfect this recipe. It a keeper!!!!!!!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Suzette! What a great comment. I’m glad it was a huge hit. The praline filling sounds wonderful. I’ll have to give that a try sometime.
Barbara | Creative Culinary
I love making these but not sure mine have ever looked quite so good. Great job!
Tia
I love this!! it look fun and cute
Lynn
Barbara,
What a beautiful King Cake. I’m making my first this year – baking right now. I used the LAT recipe, but wish I’d seen yours first! I’m thinking I need to make your cake next week!
Barbara
Thanks Lynn. I hope you give it a try. The LAT apple cream cheese filling sounds luscious.
Pete
Simply delicious! I was going to order a cake on line but after seeing the price tag of $50.00+shipping to get it here in CA, I decided to search online. WOW, it came out great. Lasted 2 days at the house and I’m making my second one tonight….this time with apple filling. Thanks…now my kids get to experience a little taste of what I grew up on. Native & left the city 25 years ago…but get back twice a year!
Barbara
Thanks Pete! Your comment put a smile on my face. So glad it tasted like you remember growing up. I’m sure your apple version will be fabulous. I am going to New Orleans for the first time in April. Suggestions?
Renee (Kudos Kitchen)
Stunning cake Barbara. Fit for a KING 🙂
Jamie
Barbara, one of my absolute favorite things must be a cinnamon-sugar-filled yeast coffee cake and yours looks perfect! And the colors on top do make it so festive. Yum! I must start this tradition in France, too, for Mardi Gras!
Nic
I’ve seen a few of these around, but yours is supreme! Gorgeous colours.
Nell
I made a King Cake this year too. However I love the braided look of yours! I also left off the sprinkles, so I love your color.
Reeni
Your king cake is beautiful Barbara! I love the cinnamon filling!
mamatkamal
What a gorgeous creation! Bravo Barbara!