Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable Version)

Colorful ring-shaped brioche with sweet cream cheese filling and vibrant sanding sugar topping.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 packet (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - ¾ cup warm milk (110°F)
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tsp salt
08 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
09 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

→ Cream Cheese Filling

10 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
11 - ½ cup powdered sugar
12 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Icing & Decoration

13 - 2 cups powdered sugar
14 - 3–4 tbsp milk
15 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar

# How-To:

01 - Combine warm milk and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
03 - Add yeast mixture, eggs, and softened butter to dry ingredients. Mix until dough forms.
04 - Knead on floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
05 - Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.
06 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
07 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x24-inch rectangle.
08 - Spread cream cheese filling evenly over dough, leaving 1-inch border.
09 - Roll dough tightly from long side into log. Pinch seam to seal.
10 - Shape log into ring on parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together to seal.
11 - Cover and let rise 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
12 - Bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
13 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable.
14 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle colored sugars in alternating sections while wet.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The brioche dough is impossibly tender, thanks to all that butter and eggs
  • Cream cheese filling oozes just enough sweetness without overwhelming the delicate bread
  • Watching people hunt for the hidden baby beats any party game Ive ever played
02 -
  • The dough needs proper rising time, so plan ahead and do not rush those proofing stages
  • Sealing the seam tightly prevents the filling from escaping during baking
  • Colored sugar only sticks while the icing is wet, so work quickly once you start drizzling
03 -
  • Use kitchen shears to cut slits in the ring every few inches before baking for that distinctive twisted look
  • If your colored sugar clumps, spread it on a baking sheet and break it up with a fork before using

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