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
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Cindy Grow
Made this recipe yesterday as I was in a mood to celebrate Mardi Gras. This cake was wonderful, I give it 5 stars. I made it just as the recipe said and wouldn’t change a thing.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Cindy!
Susan Oven
Just made this today. My favorite recipe for king cake ever!
Barbara Schieving
Great – glad it was a hit Susan!
Mel
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.
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome – thanks for sharing Mel!
Megan Carroll
I’ve never made a king cake before but made this recipe yesterday for a crawfish boil. It turned out great, and all our guests loved it too! Everyone ate the whole cake and I’m considering making another one today because it was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Megan! I’m so glad to hear it was a hit at your party. You can’t go wrong with making another one to enjoy yourself.
Sara
Great recipe came out wonderful!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Sara – it’s just a fun cake.
Niki
Can you make this without a stand mixer? If so, how?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Niki – sure you can. Here’s some great info from Red Star Yeast on kneading by hand. https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/baking-steps-guide/kneading/
Debra
Just a note to say this dough turned out wonderful, waiting on the second rise then bake up for our senior group at the Y . We thought we would do something besides valentines day. Will let you know how this turned out for me !
Barbara Schieving
How fun! I’m sure it will be a big hit. Thanks Debra 🙂
Jessica
This was amazing!
I followed your recipe to the t only changing the decorations up a bit.
I’ve been making king cakes for years and this was the best by far.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Awesome! Thanks Jessica 🙂
Laurel Eden
My niece and I made this cake yesterday. I was a bit nervous because I haven’t had too much success with yeast breads. This cake is beautiful. It came together perfectly. We’ll frost it tonight and have it tomorrow night as dessert for our Fat Tuesday dinner. I’ll look no further for a King Cake recipe. Thank you.
Barbara Schieving
Awesome – thanks Laurel!
Kirsten
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made two of these for an Epiphany party and they were beautiful and delicious. I used regular dry active yeast and did an initial rise until about doubled in bulk, and then let it rise again after filing and braiding. Thanks again. You ended my search for a king’s cake!
Barbara Schieving
Great! Thanks for sharing Kirsten.
Elizabeth
I made the kind cake tonight (DELICIOUS – from the scraps I baked) but I want to bring the bigger cake to work tomorrow. Should I ice it tonight or in the morning? How should I store it in the meantime?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Elizabeth – either tonight or the morning is fine. The colors might be more vibrant if you do it in the morning. I would store it in an airtight cake container if you have one. If not, just cover it completely, but not too tightly with plastic wrap and keep it on the counter. Glad you enjoyed it!
Susie D
I love this recipe! I made two of these cakes this year and both turned out beautifully and tasted delicious. This is definitely my new go-to King Cake recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Susie! Now I’m wishing I’d made one this year 🙂
Brittany
Hi Barbara, when you go to roll out tg dough to put in the filling, do you roll it out on flour or parchment paper or does it not matter? First timer, making it for a king came tasting party! I can’t wait to see how it comes out!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Brittney – I usually roll out my dough on a lightly floured pastry mat http://amzn.to/2lEZ9F2 but if you don’t have a mat, roll it out on a lightly floured counter. The parchment paper will probably slide around while you’re trying to roll it out and make it difficult. How fun to have a King Cake tasting party. Take a picture and tweet or Instagram it and tag me 🙂
Jamee
Would it be alright to refrigerate the dough for a longer time (like overnight)? I want to make this with my preschool friend, but I only have the joy of watching her for a couple hours in the morning. I was hoping to make the dough the night before.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jamee – yes, you could refrigerate the dough overnight in step 6. It will need time to come to room temperature in the morning before she comes over.
Lisa
Any tips for keeping the cinnamon inside?…I have made this recipe twice this month and each time the cinnamon escapes the braid while baking.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Lisa – a lot of the filling bubbles out no matter what you do – it’s the same when you make cinnamon rolls. It does help if you press the dough firm together before cutting it in to strips.
April
Hi Barbara, I am going to try this recipe this week and was wondering if I wanted to use cream cheese, would I put that in place of the brown sugar/cinnamon layer? Also, is there any additional or less time it would need to bake?
Barbara Schieving
Hi April – If I was going to fill it with cream cheese, I would skip the braiding part and do a faux braid similar to this https://www.barbarabakes.com/citrus-cranberry-cream-cheese-danish-braid-and-a-hodgson-mill-giveaway/. Just make it long enough so you can shape it into a circle at the end and pinch the ends together.
TJ
I braided it with cream cheese filling once. I had cream cheese every where!! Will definitely try this way next time!
Kaila B
Hello! From Louisiana but currently stationed in Japan. I am very eager to try your recipe but I don’t own a stand mixer. Is this possible without one? I appreciate any advice!
Barbara Schieving
Yes, you can. Here’s info on kneading by hand http://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/baking-steps-guide/kneading/ Enjoy!
Martha
I was born and raised in Louisiana. This took me back. Was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much.
Angie
You don’t proof the yeast?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Angie – no, when you’re using a quick rise yeast, you can add it directly to the flour without proofing. https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-types-usage/instant-or-fast-rising-yeast/ It’s so much easier.
Heather
Hi Barbara,
I completef the first steps and have my dough chilling in a bowl in the fridge. While juggling dinner, a 5 month old and pre-making his dinners I left my dough in the fridge for much longer than an hour… and it looks like it’s going to continue to chill overnight. Is my dough ruined? Will it rise too much? Any advice you can give me to salvage/continue with the cake is appreciated!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Heather – your dough will be fine overnight in the fridge. Just be sure it’s in a big bowl because it may rise even in the fridge. I’ve had doughs grow out of the bowl and become uncovered and the uncovered part gets dried out a bit. It will take longer to rise tomorrow, so be patient. But dough is very forgiving and you should be fine. Enjoy!
Amanda Thibodeaux
Pardon my language but how the hell did you braid that thing? I tried and everything fell to pieces.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Amanda – sounds like your dough may have been to soft.
Kaycie
Hi Barbra, I was wondering if I don’t have the hook attachment, could I kneed the dough by hand? How should I go about mixing in the butter? Thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Kaycie – sure you can knead it by hand, just put the butter in the middle and wrap the dough around it and knead it in a little at a time. 🙂