King Cake Recipe

Fat Tuesday isn't complete without a King Cake recipe. This homemade King Cake is like a supersized cinnamon roll, dressed up for Mardi Gras.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Proofing time 3

Total Time 3 30

Servings Servings

Calories 336kcal

In a small saucepan, heat water to 110-115 degrees. Stir in sugar until dissolved and remove from heat. Stir in yeast and set aside to bloom until foamy and bubbling, about 5 to 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attached, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, milk, butter, eggs, and yeast mixture. Stir until the dough just comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl but clinging to the bottom. about 4 to 5 minutes.
Coat a large bowl lightly with oil or nonstick spray. Transfer dough to the oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap coated with nonstick spray. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

While the dough is rising, mix the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined.

Coat a baking sheet pan with nonstick spray. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9-inch by 30-inch rectangle.
Sprinkle filling to within ½ inch of the edge of the dough and press into an even layer. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the counter if necessary.
Starting at a long edge of the rectangle, roll the dough to form a tight cylinder. Bring edges together, pinching the seams to make a ring.
Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the cake is proofing the second time, make the icing. In a medium bowl, combine, powdered sugar almond extract, milk, and stir until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake cake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Switch the positions and rotate the orientation of the sheet halfway through baking time.

Make small slit on the bottom of the cake and push plastic baby in. Drizzle with icing, sprinkle the colored sugar sprinkles over the icing alternating between green, purple, and yellow.

Active dry yeast: Find this in little packets or jars at the store in the baking aisle. If you already have some, make sure it’s active and hasn’t expired. If you buy the jar, store it indefinitely in the freezer after opening.
All purpose flour or bread flour: Bread flour has slightly more protein than all purpose flour. That means bread flour can absorb more water, resulting in a more elastic dough and a chewier, lighter, finished product. All purpose works just fine if that's what you have handy, however.
Almond extract: Or Vanilla Extract; either will do to scent the frosting.
Yield: This King Cake recipe makes 12 generous slices. (Make sure yours is nice and large so you have a better chance of finding the baby hiding inside!)
Storage: Wrap any leftover cake tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Make ahead: Do not make the filling or frosting in advance of baking the cake. If you make the cinnamon filling ahead of time it will get crusty, and the frosting will dry out.