What's Mardi Gras without king cake?! We've found a yummy
recipe that you're sure to love!
Did you know?
Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." It's a time for
celebration and fun. For Catholics it marks the last day before weeks of
fasting during Lent.
Ingredients
Cake
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 package of Quick Rise yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, and cut into 12
pieces
Cinnamon Filling
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Icing
1 cup powdered (confectioners' sugar)
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Decoration
Green, purple, and yellow or gold sugar
Miniature plastic baby
Directions
Prepare the Dough
Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour and yeast in mixing bowl using the
paddle attachment on low for 30 seconds.
Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat
until sugar is dissolved.
Pour in liquids with mixer on low. Add eggs and mix until a
shaggy dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the last cup of flour.
Then add the butter, kneading it until all the butter is absorbed.
Knead the dough on low for eight minutes. The dough should
clear the sides of the bowl. If it's too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at
time and mix thoroughly before deciding if more flour is needed. If your dough
is too dry, add a little water and mix before deciding if more water is
needed. Stop the machine and scrape the
dough off the hook every two minutes to ensure all of the dough is properly
mixed.
Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into
a ball. Place it in a greased bowl and turn it so that the greased surface is
on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Prepare the Cinnamon Filling
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Then add butter and mix well.
After Dough is Chilled
Roll the dough into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Spread the filling
on half of the long side of the dough, then fold the dough in half covering the
filling. Pat the dough down firmly so the dough will stick together. Cut the
dough into three and press the tops of the strips together and brain them.
Press the ends together at the circle and press the edges together. If you
would like, you can hide the miniature plastic baby in between the ends of the
circle before sealing the ring.
Transfer the ring onto a baking sheet that is greased or
lined with parchment. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until
it is doubled. This should take about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
while the dough is rising. Bake the cake until it's golden brown, which takes
20-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking
sheet. Then place it on a cooling rack to completely cool for icing.
Icing
Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more
milk if it is too think or more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
Spoon icing over the top of the cake and immediately
sprinkle the purple, yellow and green sugar.
Best served with: Blue Bell makes a Mardi Gras King Cake ice
cream. You may have to do some searching at a few grocery stores but it's well
worth.
