King Cake is a soft and delicious Mardi Gras tradition that takes minimal ingredients and time to put together. We've included 3 different shape options as well as instructions for adding in a plastic baby.
Pour warm milk into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in your sugar and yeast and let proof 10 minutes. Whisk in your butter, egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Use a dough hook or wooden spoon to mix in flour and knead until it forms a dough ball. The dough should be greasy and solid, but not sticky, and should naturally pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer to a large un-greased mixing bowl. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
Once dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10"x20" rectangle. Cut the dough lengthwise into 3 roughly equal long strips.
For your filling, mix together your sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread your butter over each of the dough strips and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Roll each strip up lengthwise and seal the edges to create three long ropes. Don't forget to place a plastic baby somewhere in one of the ropes (if using). Braid your strips together and bring ends together to create a circle or oval. Place on large parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once dough has risen bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool.
To make the icing, add powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk in milk until icing can be easily drizzled on the cake. Pour the icing over the cooled cake and immediately add your sprinkles over the top in any colorful design you'd like.
Video
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Notes
As written, this recipe is for a braided loaf. Here are two more popular options for shaping your King Cake:
OVAL OR ROUND RING: Roll dough out into a 10-inch by 20-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter in an even layer out over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch to 1-inch un-buttered gap at the top of the rectangle to allow it to seal. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar in an even layer over the butter on the dough. Add in the plastic baby (if using). Working lengthwise, roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the edges to seal. Loop it into a ring and gently press the ends together to form a round or oval ring. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
SPLIT-BRAID/STAR: Roll dough out into a 10-inch by 20-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter in an even layer out over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch to 1-inch un-buttered gap at the top of the rectangle to allow it to seal. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar in an even layer over the butter on the dough. Add in the plastic baby (if using). Working lengthwise, roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the edges to seal. Use a sharp knife to slice the log in half, lengthwise. Pinch the strands together at one end and simply twist the two pieces together, joining up the ends in a circle, pinching them together, and tucking them underneath.