Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable Version)
Tender brioche layered with rich cream cheese, adorned with colorful sugar stripes for a festive delight.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1 tsp fine sea salt
05 - 3/4 cup warm milk (110°F)
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
→ Cream Cheese Filling
10 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
11 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Egg Wash
13 - 1 large egg
14 - 1 tbsp milk
→ Icing & Decoration
15 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
16 - 2-3 tbsp milk
17 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
18 - Purple, green, and gold colored sanding sugar
# How-To:
01 - Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until mixture becomes foamy.
02 - Add melted butter, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.
03 - Gradually incorporate flour, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead for 7-10 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
05 - While dough rises, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside until ready to use.
06 - Punch down risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x24-inch rectangle.
07 - Spread cream cheese filling in a strip along one long edge of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
08 - Roll dough jelly-roll style, enclosing the filling. Pinch seam and ends tightly to seal. Shape into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
09 - Cover loosely and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F during the final 15 minutes of rising.
10 - Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon milk. Brush entire surface of cake evenly with egg wash mixture.
11 - Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
12 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth but pourable consistency is achieved.
13 - Drizzle icing evenly over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle alternating stripes of purple, green, and gold sanding sugars over icing while wet.
14 - If desired, insert plastic baby figurine into the cake from underneath before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The brioche dough stays tender for days unlike other yeasted cakes that turn into rocks overnight
- That cream cheese filling makes people stop midconversation and ask what you put inside
- You get to play with purple green and gold sugar like a festive kid again
02 -
- The dough will feel sticky and that's exactly right, don't keep adding flour or you'll lose the tender texture
- Seal the filling edge tighter than you think necessary or it will leak everywhere in the oven
- Let the cake cool completely before icing or all your beautiful colors will run together into brown mud
03 -
- Put your colored sugars in shallow bowls and use spoons to distribute them instead of shaking directly from the container
- If you can't find purple sugar, mix regular sanding sugar with a drop of gel food coloring and spread it on parchment to dry overnight