Recipes
King Cake
Learn to make the iconic Mardi Gras pastry, a brioche ring filled with cream cheese and dusted with colorful sanding sugar.
- Serves
10-12
- Time
1 hour 25 minutes, plus rising and cooling
In New Orleans, king cake season officially begins on January 6th, the Epiphany, and kicks off with a Twelfth Night party. These gatherings always feature the signature ring-shaped, sugar-coated (and sometimes filled) yeast bread, and they continue through Mardi Gras, which marks the last day of excess before Lent. Tradition dictates that you hide a small plastic baby, representing the baby Jesus, in the cake after it’s baked and before slathering on the icing. (You can also use a large dried bean.) The partygoer who gets the lucky slice is then crowned royalty for the occasion—and must provide the king cake for the next party. Look for miniature plastic babies in your local craft store (the baby shower aisle is usually a good bet), or order a plastic king cake baby online.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- One ¼-oz. package active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar, divided
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
For the filling:
- Two 8-oz. packages cream cheese
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tbsp. cane syrup or maple syrup
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
For the buttermilk glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- Green, gold, and purple sanding sugars, for garnish
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and ¼ cup of water heated to 115°F. Stir to combine and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the milk, brown sugar, vanilla, whole egg plus yolk, and remaining sugar to the mixer and beat on low until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Turn off the mixer and add the flour and salt. Mix on medium until the dough just comes together. Turn the mixer to high and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until the dough is doubled in size, 1½–2 hours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, pecans, cane syrup, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Set aside.
Step 4
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a heavily floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large round, about ¼-inch thick. Cut a hole in the center of the round and pull with your fingers to widen. Arrange dollops of the filling evenly around the dough, halfway between the outer edge and inner hole. Drape the outside edges over the filling and continue rolling the outside inward until the filling is covered, widening the inner hole as needed, until the dough covers the seam. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour.
Step 5
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Uncover the cake and bake until golden brown, 34–40 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 6
Meanwhile, make the buttermilk glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and buttermilk until smooth.
Step 7
Transfer the king cake to a cutting board or platter. Spread the buttermilk glaze over top of the cake and sprinkle evenly with the sanding sugars.
- Make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and ¼ cup of water heated to 115°F. Stir to combine and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the milk, brown sugar, vanilla, whole egg plus yolk, and remaining sugar to the mixer and beat on low until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Turn off the mixer and add the flour and salt. Mix on medium until the dough just comes together. Turn the mixer to high and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until the dough is doubled in size, 1½–2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, pecans, cane syrup, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a heavily floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large round, about ¼-inch thick. Cut a hole in the center of the round and pull with your fingers to widen. Arrange dollops of the filling evenly around the dough, halfway between the outer edge and inner hole. Drape the outside edges over the filling and continue rolling the outside inward until the filling is covered, widening the inner hole as needed, until the dough covers the seam. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Uncover the cake and bake until golden brown, 34–40 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the buttermilk glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and buttermilk until smooth.
- Transfer the king cake to a cutting board or platter. Spread the buttermilk glaze over top of the cake and sprinkle evenly with the sanding sugars.
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