Mardi Gras King Cake (Print)
A festive brioche swirl featuring cinnamon sugar and colorful icing, ideal for joyful gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup warm milk (110°F)
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Cinnamon Filling
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Icing & Decoration
14 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
18 - Purple, green, and gold colored sugars
19 - 1 small plastic baby (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine warm milk and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Blend in salt, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
03 - Pour the activated yeast mixture into the butter mixture. Gradually incorporate flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand for 8 minutes or use a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat all surfaces. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in bulk, approximately 1.5 hours.
05 - While dough rises, combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until evenly incorporated.
06 - Punch down risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Brush entire surface with melted butter, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly across the dough.
07 - Starting from a long side, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam firmly to seal. Transfer log to a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape into an oval or circle, pinching ends together to form a ring. Tuck plastic baby underneath if using.
08 - Cover shaped cake loosely and let rise in a warm place until puffy and noticeably increased in size, 30-45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk if too thick or more sugar if too thin.
11 - Drizzle icing generously over cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Immediately sprinkle colored sugars in alternating bands of purple, green, and gold while icing is still wet.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brioche dough is impossibly tender, somewhere between bread and pastry, with just enough sweetness to feel indulgent without being cloying
- That moment when you drizzle the icing and shower it with purple green and gold sugars feels like pure celebration no matter where you are
- One cake feeds a crowd and keeps beautifully for days, assuming you can stop yourself from eating it straight from the counter
02 -
- The dough needs proper rising time, rushing this step will result in a dense, bread like cake instead of that tender pastry texture
- Seal the seams well when you roll and shape the cake, otherwise the cinnamon sugar will leak out during baking and create a sticky mess
- Let the cake cool completely before icing, otherwise the icing will melt right off and you will lose that beautiful white drizzle
03 -
- If your kitchen is cold, create a warm spot for rising by turning the oven on to its lowest setting for one minute, then turning it off and placing the dough inside
- The colored sugars work best if you apply them in wide diagonal stripes rather than trying to be too precise or symmetrical
- Make sure your butter is truly softened before creaming it with the sugar, this small step affects the final texture of the dough