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Easy King Cake for Mardi Gras with purple, green and gold sprinkles.

King Cake for Mardi Gras

Enriched dough is filled with cinnamon and sugar, then glazed and covered in Mardi Gras colored sprinkles - green, gold, and purple for the perfect Mardi Gras celebration!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proofing Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Multi-cultural
Servings 12
Calories 362 kcal

Equipment

  • Plastic Baby or Dried Bean
  • Sprinkles in green, gold, and purple
  • Stand Mixer, optional
  • Baking Sheet
  • Rolling Pin
  • Offset Spatula
  • Parchment or Silpat

Ingredients
 
 

For the Dough

  • 500 g Bread Flour
  • 7 grams Instant Yeast
  • 7 grams Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 250 mL Milk
  • 50 grams Butter unsalted, at room temperature, diced
  • 1 Egg large, at room temperature

For the Filling

  • 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter very soft
  • 100 grams Brown Sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Flour

For the Egg Wash

  • 1 Egg large

For the Glaze

  • 200 grams Powdered Sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoon Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Green, purple, and gold sprinkles

Instructions
 

To Make the Dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl, add the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Mix to combine well.
  • In a measuring cup, measure out the milk. Add the diced butter. Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. Continue to microwave on short bursts until the butter is melted. Allow to cool to about 110 degrees F. If you dip your finger into the liquid, it should feel warm, not hot.
  • Add the egg to the warm milk and whisk to combine.
  • Turn the mixer on low speed and gradually pour the milk/butter/egg mixture. Once the wet and dry ingredients are completely mixed together, turn the mixer up to medium. Allow the mixer to knead the dough for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough passes the windowpane test.
  • IF YOU ARE NOT USING A STAND MIXER: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Gradually mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Dump the dough onto a lightly flour countertop and knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test.
  • Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. While the dough rises, mix together the filling ingredients until you have a smooth paste.

To Shape the King Cake

  • Dump the dough out onto the counter and punch out the air. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
    Bread dough cut into 3 equal pieces.
  • Roll out one piece of dough to a roughly 12-inch circle. Spread half of the filling mixture onto the dough into an even layer with an offset spatula.
    Cinnamon sugar mixture spread on a circle of dough.
  • Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle and place this circle on top of the first piece with the filling.
    Place a second round of dough on top of the filling.
  • Spread the remainder of the filling on top and then repeat the rolling process with the third piece of dough.
  • Using a sharp knife or a pastry or pizza cutter, cut the circle almost to the center into 16 sections. (Cut into 4 equal sections then cut in the center of those 4 sections, then cut again in the center of each of those sections.) Place a small bowl, glass, or biscuit cutter in the center to show yourself where you should NOT cut!
    Cut the circle of dough almost to the center.
  • Take one of sections and twist it twice to the left. Take the section to the right of that section and twist it two times to the right. Pinch the ends of those two sections together. Move on to the next two sections. Continue all the way around the circle.
    Twist two strips outward and then pinch the ends together.
  • Cover with a damp tea towel or a piece of greased cling wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while the dough is rising.
    Star bread shaped before baking.
  • Whisk up the egg for the egg wash and gently brush over the surface of the dough. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely at room temperature

Make the Glaze and Decorate

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but runny enough to spread easily.
  • Spread the glaze over the top of the King Cake to cover it completely. Sprinkle the green, purple, and gold sprinkles in whatever pattern you desire.

Notes

**A traditional shape for a King Cake is a simple wreath shape. To make this, in step 7, instead of dividing the dough into 3 pieces, just roll out the entire batch of dough into a large rectangle. Spread the filling over the rectangle of dough. Roll up the dough along the long side and then turn the dough to make a ring shape. Pinch the ends together, allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour and then bake.

Nutrition

Serving: 10gCalories: 362kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 7gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 281mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 360IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
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