It’s thought that the king cake tradition started in France back in the Middle Ages and was originally named after the three kings of the Bible that visited the baby Jesus on the 12th night of Christmas, January 6th. The tradition was brought over to Louisiana’s French colony, leading to New Orleans bakeries selling them for Carnival season. If you need another recipe to celebrate Mardi Gras season then make these easy pancakes for Pancake Day!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Yeast — always double-check the expiry date of your yeast. If it is past its best before date, it’s better to pick up a new packet of yeast at the store. Butter — be sure to buy unsalted butter and not salted butter. Salted butter does not have a consistent amount of salt across different brands, so measuring salt separately for the brioche dough ensures it’s not overly salty. Brown sugar — the sugar gives the filling a delicious caramel-like flavor and compliments the cinnamon flavor. If you do not have brown sugar, see my guide on make your own brown sugar. Powdered sugar — if you don’t have powdered sugar, you can see my guide here on making powdered sugar at home. Sanding sugar — to decorate the king cake, you’ll need purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar. If you only have white sanding sugar, you can dye it with food coloring.
How to Make King Cake
Make the king cake dough by combining 3¼ cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and nutmeg in a stand mixer bowl. Add the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium-low speed with the dough hook attachment until a smooth and sticky dough forms, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining ¼ cup of flour if the dough sticks to your finger after 15 minutes.
Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in size. Then, roll and stretch the dough into a 10×20-inch rectangle. Let it rest while you make the filling.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl, stirring until well combined.
Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border on one long side.
Starting at the long side opposite the border, tightly roll up the dough into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Roll seam side down. Bring the two ends together, and pinch the ends together to form a wreath. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
When risen, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to make cuts about a third of the way through, spaced 1 inch apart all around the outside of the dough ring. Then, bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely on the pan and then transfer to a serving platter.
In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and milk together until thick but spoonable. Spoon over the top of the cake, using the spoon to cover the top, and push the icing to drip down the sides.
Decorate the king cake with alternating green, purple, and yellow sanding sugar sections.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
I highly recommend using a digital scale to measure your flour. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then sprinkle it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. Never overpack the measuring cup. Avoid over-mixing as you risk over-developing the gluten in the batter leading to a tough, dry, and dense king cake. The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they incorporate evenly into your batter without accidentally over-mixing. If you forgot to bring your eggs to room temperature, you could quickly fix that by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes. The time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough rising is 75 to 78F. When rolling the dough, make sure to do so tightly, or you might get gaps between the layers once baked. Think of it like a giant cinnamon roll! Make sure the milk is between 110 to 120F as milk that’s too hot will kill the yeast. Have fun with your King Cake flavors! Add some vanilla extract or citrus zest to the dough. Throw your favorite baking spices in the filling in place of cinnamon. Or, finely chop nuts or grate semisweet chocolate and sprinkle over the filling before rolling. Another way of making this king cake is by braiding it. Divide the dough into three long strips before spreading with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll the dough into logs, braid the three strips before shaping them into a wreath shape, and seal the edges.
Can I add a baby to my cake?
You can! A tiny plastic baby or a ceramic fève is traditionally hidden in a king cake once it has been baked. If you choose to add one, push one small plastic baby into the cake through the bottom before you decorate it, so it’s hidden. You don’t want to add it before baking, as the baby can melt in the oven.
Why is there a baby?
A baby added to king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition. The baby, which symbolizes baby Jesus, represents prosperity and luck. So, the person who has the slice with the baby is predicted to be in for a lucky year! The lucky person gets the responsibility of bringing next year’s cake as well.
Can I use different sanding sugar?
If you want to use different colored sanding sugar, you’re welcome to. Traditionally, you use purple, green, and yellow/gold as purple symbolizes justice, green symbolizes faith, and yellow/gold symbolizes power.
When is this traditionally served?
While this recipe is perfect year-round, traditionally, you serve king cake between King’s Day (January 6th) and the eve of Mardi Gras to celebrate the coming of the three kings.
How do I store leftovers?
You can store the bread at room temperature for up to 3 days under a cake dome or in an airtight container to keep the break from drying out.
Can I freeze this?
Definitely! I recommend you hold off the icing and decorating the bread if you plan on freezing it. You can freeze it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter until its reached room temperature. If you’ve tried this King Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
