18 to 24 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
For the dough
All-purpose flour (Unbleached)
Sugar
Salt
Unsalted Butter (Melted)
Whole Milk (ROOM TEMP)
Large Eggs (ROOM TEMP)
Vegetable oil
Warm Water
1 Package of Active Dry Yeast or Instant Dry Yeast
For the Filling and Frosting
Cinnamon
Sugar
Unsalted Butter (Melted)
Warm Water
100% Pure Vanilla Extract
Imitation Butter Flavor
Confectioners Sugar
Wilton- Purple, Yellow and Green Sugar sprinkles.
Tools you’ll need
11×17 inch square pan.
Bakers Joy Non Stick Spray
Plastic Wrap (Optional)
Stand mixer (With dough hook attachment)
Preparing your ingredients
Step 1- In a small bowl Add 1/2 Cup warm water and add the entire package of yeast. (About 2 teaspoons total) Stir and then add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir again. Set aside and let rise for about 10 minutes.
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 2- In a medium sized pot, add 1 Cup of Milk and then add 1 stick of Unsalted butter. Let butter melt.
Step 3-Once Butter has melted turn fire off and let cool for about 10 minutes. Note- Make sure that after 10 minutes that your mixture is cooled off until it’s warm. If mixture is still very hot, then let cool for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 Large eggs (Room temp) mix until combined.
Preparing your dry ingredients
Step 5- In a large bowl add 4 Cups All-Purpose flour, 1/2 Cup Sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until combined.
Adding the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (Stand mixer)
If you don’t have a stand mixer, proceed to step 6A
Step 6- Add the flour mixture into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer.
Step 7- Make a well into the center of your flour
Step 8- Add wet ingredients all at once (Both milk and yeast mixtures) Mix for 4 minutes or until mixture is well combined into a dough. Dough should be slightly sticky
Note- If your dough appears to be sticky, add 1/4 or 1/3 additional Cup of all-purpose flour and mix.
If you do not have a Stand mixer
Step 6A- In the large bowl containing the flour mixture make a well into the center of the flour.
Step 7A– Add wet ingredients all at once (Both milk and yeast mixtures) Mix with a large sturdy spoon. Mixing will take time so make sure you mix ingredients really well for 5 minutes.
Note- If your dough appears to be sticky, add 1/4 or 1/3 additional Cup of all-purpose flour and mix.
Kneading and proofing the dough
Step 9-Add flour onto the surface of your table. Place dough on top of the table. Add a sprinkle of flour on top of the dough. Knead 20 times or for 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands, continue to add more flour until dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Step 10-In a large bowl add 1 teaspoon of oil and spread it along the bottom and sides of the bowl. Place dough into bowl and cover with a lid or towel
Important step
In order for the dough to rise the temperature in the kitchen must be around 80 degrees. It can take 2 or possibly 3 hours to rise depending on the temperature of the area your dough is in. If nothing works, heat your oven up for about 2 minutes (Do not let the oven get hot.) Place bowl into oven and let sit for 2 hours
Step 11- Let dough rise for 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size. Once done, procced to step 13.
Step 12- Once the dough has doubled in size, press down on it to deflate it. This will release the gasses caused by the yeast. Also, dough can stick to your hands. This is normal and dough should no longer stick to your hands after to deflate it.
Shaping and rolling the dough
Step 13- Flour the surface of your table and add dough on top and knead 15 times or for 1 to 2 minutes. Once done, form dough into small rectangle.
Step 14- Take Rolling pin and roll dough into a 30 by 15-inch rectangle. Rectangle should be 30 inches long by 15 inches wide.
Step 15- Once done with step 16, take knife and cut 3 strips going down the full length of dough. Each strip should be 5 inches in width.
Step 16- Melt 1/2 stick of Unsalted butter and brush along the length of each strip of dough. Note- Do not place butter along the edges of the dough as this will prevent dough from sealing when you roll it up.
Step 17- In a small bowl add 1/2 Cup of Sugar and 2 heaping Tablespoons of Cinnamon and mix until well combined.
Step 18- Add Cinnamon Sugar mixture on top of each dough strip. Note- Use all of the cinnamon sugar mixture and be careful not to add any of it onto the edges of the dough as that will prevent dough from sealing properly.
Step 19- Roll each strip down the width of the stripe until you reach the edge of the strip. Remember Strips are 5 inches wide.
Step 20- Once you reach the edge take your index finger and your middle finger and press the Edges of the rolled dough onto the edge.
Braiding your king cake
Step 21- Braid your king cake using the 3 table charts below. Note-The strip on the very end always crosses over to the other side of the second strip. Braid the ends of the King cake together the best way possible.
Step 22- Once you’ve braided your king cake. Grease your 11 by 17-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and carefully place braided dough onto pan and form a rectangle.
Important step
In order for the dough to rise the temperature in the kitchen must be around 80 degrees. It can take 1 1/2 hours to rise depending on the temperature of the area your king cake dough is in. If nothing works, heat your oven up for about 2 minutes (Do not let the oven get hot) Place pan into oven and let sit for 1 1/2 hours
Step 23- Place clean towel over entire king cake and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. King Cake should be almost doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
Step 24- Once finished Place King Cake dough into Preheated 370-degree oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. It should be a nice golden brown.
Making the icing
Step 25- In a small bowl add 2 Cups of confectioners’ Sugar, 2 tablespoons of warm water or warm whole milk, 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of butter extract. Mix until well combined Mixture should be slightly thick and creamy with no visible lumps.
Step 26- While king cake is still warm drizzle or pour the icing over the top of your king cake. Once the icing is poured on top of the cake, sprinkle the purple and green sprinkles any way you so desire.
Notes- Wait 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Store your King Cake in an airtight clear plastic bag. You can also wrap it with plastic wrap to keep it as fresh as possible.
YouTube instructional video
