18 to 24 servings
YouTube instructional video is at bottom.
What you’ll need
All-Purpose Flour
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Salt
Instant yeast
Cinnamon
Unsalted Butter
16 ounces cream cheese (Room temp)
Whole milk (Room temp)
3 large eggs (Room temp)
Confectioners’ sugar
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Purple, Green and gold sugar sprinkles
Tools you’ll need
Baker’s joy non-Stick baking spray
11×17 inch baking pan
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Pastry bag with tip cut off (For filling)
Stand mixer
Preparation of dry and wet ingredients
Step 1- Add 4 cups All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon instant yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into your stand mixer bowl.
Step 2- Add 1 cup warm whole milk, 10 tablespoons warm melted unsalted butter, and 2 large eggs (Room temp) Stir with whisk until combined. Set aside.
Making the dough
Step 3- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix on a medium low speed for 4 minutes until combined. If dough still sticks to your hands, add an additional 1/4 cup flour and mix on a medium low speed until combined. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Making the Cream cheese and cinnamon sugar filling
Note- You can use any type of filling for your king cake. You can also omit the filling completely from the recipe altogether if you want a regular king cake.
Step 4- Add 12 ounces cream cheese (Room temp), 1/2 cup sugar or confectioners’ sugar, 1 large egg yolk (Room temp), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour into a medium sized bowl. Stir with whisk until combined. Set aside.
Step 5- Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons cinnamon into a small bowl. Stir until combined. Set aside.
Kneading and shaping dough
Step 6- Flour the surface of your table. Add dough on to table. Knead 10 times and shape dough into a small rectangle. Roll dough into a 30-inch wide by 15-inch rectangle.
Step 7- Cut 3 strips going down the length of the dough. Each strip should be 5 inches wide.
Note- Careful not to add any butter, cinnamon sugar or filling on to the edges of the strips. Doing so will prevent the dough from sealing properly.
Step 8- Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter, brush butter generously on to each strip of dough using a pastry brush. Sprinkle entire contents of cinnamon sugar mixture on to all 3 strips of dough. Add cream cheese filling into piping bag with tip removed. Pipe filling on to each strip of dough.
Step 9- Roll each strip carefully toward you like a jelly roll. Press edges together with your fingers.
Braiding your king cake
Notes- The strip of dough on the far left or right side of the middle strip of dough always crosses over the middle strip of dough to the other side.
Demonstration below.
Step 10- Take the strip that is on the far left and cross it over the middle strip on to the right side.
Take the strip that is on the far right and cross it over the middle strip on to the left side
Repeat this step until the entire king cake is braided.
Once braided. Take both ends of Braided king cake dough and braid it together.
Rising of the dough and baking your King cake
Step 11- Spray baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Place braided King cake dough into baking pan. Cover with towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Light coated pans), or 350 degrees (Dark coated pans)
Step 12- Place into a preheated 400 degrees (Light coated pans) 350 degrees (Dark coated pans) for 20 minutes. Once done remove cake out of oven. Let cool until it is warm for 1 hour.
Making the King cake icing
Step 13- In a small bowl, add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons warm melted unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons warm whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon butter extract. Stir until smooth.
Decorating your King Cake
Step 14- Spread icing on top of king cake as even as possible. Once done sprinkle purple, green and gold sugar sprinkles on top of King cake. Let icing set for 15 minutes before serving.
Note- You can take a plastic king cake baby and insert it underneath the king cake.
Storage- Place king cake on a cake pad. Add the king cake into a large clear plastic bag. Cake can be stored at room temperature for 7 days. 1 month in freezer.
YouTube instructional video
