This recipe may look long and complicated, but it really isn't,
and you will have fun making it.

King Cake

Recipe # 1 

(From Southern Living 1990 Annual Recipes)

1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 (16-oz.) carton sour cream 1/3 c. sugar 1 t. salt 1 pkgs. dry yeast 1 T. sugar 1/2 c. warm water (105 º to 115 º) 2 eggs 6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened Colored frostings Colored Sugars

 

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan; heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Let mixture cool to 105 º to 115 º. Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or by hand until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Pinch dough down and it divide in half. Turn one portion of dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll to a 28" X 10" rectangle. Spread half of the butter and half of the cinnamon mixture on the rolled out dough. Roll dough, jelly roll fashion, starting at the long side. Gently place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of dough together and form an oval ring. If you have access to a tiny plastic baby, tuck it into the seam before you seal it. If not, use a large, dried bean. Moisten and pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat this procedure with the second half of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 º for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Decorate each cake with bands of colored frostings, and sprinkle with colored sugars. Makes 2 cakes. If you prefer to do it the easy way, make it in a bread machine... I did, and it works great. I just dissolve the yeast in warm water first, and dissolve the sugar, butter and salt in the scalded milk, let cool, and put in the machine. Eliminates all of that kneading. Some bread machines can't hold this large recipe, so you may want to use one of the recipes below. Just take it out as soon as it is mixed to rise. NOTE: If you prefer, you can replace the cinnamon and sugar inside the roll of dough with a cream cheese filling or a pie filling in the flavor of your choice... just spread it thinly on the center of the rectangle before you roll it up. Popular flavors are blueberry, cherry, and lemon.

Recipe # 2 A Smaller Version - King Cake Based on e-mail I've received, there is a need for a recipe using less flour so that the dough can be mixed in a small bread machine. I haven't adapted the directions for a bread machine -- I'll leave that up to you. 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 t. salt 3 T. butter or margarine 1/4 c. warm water (105 - 115 degrees) 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 egg 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it steams; remove from heat. Add sugar, salt and butter, stiffing until butter is melted. Let cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add egg and 1 1/2 cups flower; beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the rest of the flour. Beat until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth. Knead until dough is satiny and elastic and blisters appear on the surface. Go to the directions in the other recipe (the ***'s) to finish. If you want to use the cimmamon and sugar, just follow the ingredients & directions from the other recipe.

 

Cream Cheese Filling 1 8-oz. package cream cheese 1 c. confectioners sugar 2 T. flour 1 t. vanilla drop or two of milk Cream all ingredients together with an electric mixer. Spread on the rolled-out rectangle before rolling it into a ring. You can use cream cheese and a fruit filling if you so desire.

 

Colored Sugars  1 -1/2 cups sugar, divided 1 to 2 drops each of green, yellow, red and blue food coloring Combine 1/2 cup sugar and a drop of green coloring in a jar. Place lid on jar, and shake vigorously to evenly mix the color with sugar. Repeat with each color, combining red and blue for purple.

 

Colored Frostings (Personally, I don't care for the colored sugars - they make the taste too grainy; however, it is traditional to put them on the King Cake. I leave it off since I prefer just the frosting...) 3 cups sifted powdered sugar 3 T. butter of margarine, melted 3 to 5 T. milk 1/4 t. vanilla extract 1 to 2 drops each green, yellow, red, and blue food coloring  Combine powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk (room temperature) to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla. Divide frosting into 3 batches, tinting one with green, one with yellow, and combining blue and red for purple frosting. Makes about 1 - 1/2 cups.

Note: I've tried to provide you with recipes for King Cakes. Due to the volume of e-mail I receive, I really can't answer indivitual questions about how to make them. Also, I can't be responsible for how your cakes turn out. I do wish you good luck and lots of fun making them! Many people have written to say that this is a very good recipe.

 

If you would like to order Mardi Gras supplies, such as babies for your King Cake, you might want to try Europe's Finest, Inc.. I'm not paid to list this source; it's strictly here because I know about the store since its local. They ship all over.

 

Above Mardi Gras card made and sent to me by NannySC, my neighbor and computer buddy.

If you don't want to make your own King Cake, and have lots of $$$$, you may want to order a cake from Paul's Pastry. They send King Cakes all over the country. While I can't guarantee this source for ordering, I have eaten lots of King Cakes from them, and they are among the very best with their varieties of fillings and cream cheese. There are other places you can order from, also: Sweet Stuff - 228-388-8352 They are located about a mile from my house. Although I've never gotten a king cake from them, they do make delicious cakes. They offer a King Cake Mardi Gras Kit: 2 lb. King Cake, Beads & Doubloon, King Cake Story - $50.00, shipping included. They ship anywhere in the US. That is their current price... I don't always keep up with their price, but they just had a substantial price increase (42.8%) since I last listed a price, so call and get a current price. Other possible sources for King Cakes and Mardi Gras Kits: http://www.gambinos.com/ http://www.raosbakery.com/ http://www.kingcakes.com/kingordr.html

 

 

 

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 Page created January 1998;

Updated 2-1-2003, 7/10/-5, 2/11/06.

 

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