Festive King’s Cake

Total Time:Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 30 min. + cooling

By Taste Of Home Editorial Team

Recipe by Stacey Feather, Jay, Oklahoma

Tested by Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Updated on Sep. 23, 2022

In New Orleans, after the cake is baked a tiny toy baby is often inserted into it. Whoever gets the piece with the baby is supposed to have a year of good luck. The catch is they must also throw a Mardi Gras party next year. — Stacey West-Feather, Jay, Oklahoma

TEST KITCHEN APPROVED

Festive King's Cake

Yield:1 cake (16 slices)
Prep:40 min
Cook:30 min

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 3/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • filling:
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • topping:
    • 1-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
    • Purple, yellow and green colored sugars
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Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, yeast, salt and 2 cups flour. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg yolks; beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
  2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
  3. For filling, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 24x6-in. rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar lengthwise down one half of the dough. Fold dough lengthwise over filling; pinch seam to seal. Transfer to a greased baking sheet, seam side down. Shape into a ring, pinching ends together to seal. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  4. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For topping, mix the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Spread over cake; sprinkle with colored sugars.
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