King Cake Recipe and Links to Top Bakeries to Buy One Online

According to Christian tradition, the 12^th day after Christmas is known as “Epiphany”, “12^th Night” or “Kings Day”. It’s supposed to be the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the newborn baby Jesus.

The New Orleans tradition of Mardi Gras begins this upcoming year on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, March 8, 2011, which is the day before Ash Wednesday, March 9, 2011. This tradition includes many traditions brought over by immigrants from Europe.

One of the traditions that dates back to 12th century France is a cake that is made in an oval. The shape represents the unity of faiths. It also celebrates the three kings and is called a King Cake. It’s not like your typical birthday cake, but more of a cinnamon roll or coffee cake. It is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors.

• Green represents faith
• Purple represents justice
• Gold presents power

Traditionally, the King Cake was made with a bean or coin inside. Over the years it has become a trinket. The trinkets have varied only a little over the years. Within each cake is a small plastic toy of a baby. Some believe the baby represents the baby Jesus, while others believe it represents the rebirth of Father time for the New Year. Commercial bakeries have begun to discontinue placing the baby inside the cake and often place it on top since it poses a choking hazard.

During this festive time King Cakes are served regularly. Some offices have them daily, while some have them a bit less often. As each person receives a slice, it’s exciting to anticipate who will get the slice containing the baby. Whoever gets the baby is supposed to be lucky and sometimes deemed the King or Queen for the day. They also are appointed as the person to bring the next King Cake.

New Orleans sells over 750,000 King Cakes each year with another 50,000 cakes being shipped to other destinations around the world.

The traditional King Cake is made from a cinnamon bread dough that is braided. It is topped with icing and green, gold and purple sprinkles. Modern King Cakes often have fillings of fruit and/or cream cheese. You can find tons of variations to this recipe online. Have fun experimenting with different ones.

The one I've chosen does not require braiding, although you could alter this one so that you created four rectangles and braided two together twice if you wanted to.

King Cake Recipe

Makes 2 rings

For the dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 pkgs of active dry yeast (.25 oz)
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2-plastic babies

For the icing:

• 1 cup powdered confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon milk

• Colored sprinkles in green, gold or yellow, and purple

• Scald the milk and remove it from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Set it aside for about ten minutes until it’s creamy.
• Once the yeast is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Using a whisk, blend in the eggs. Stir in the remaining granulated sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time.
• When the dough becomes difficult to work with, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This usually takes about 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl. Take the dough and coat it with oil on all sides and place it in the oiled bowl. . Cover plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about two hours or until it doubles in size.
• Take the risen dough and punch it down and divide it in half.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Combine the dry ingredients. Pour butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up like a jelly roll. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval-shaped rings. Place each ring on the greased cookie sheets. Make slits 1/3 of the way through the rings every inch or so around the ring. Let the rings rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes or until they have doubled in size. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. While the ring is still warm from the oven, push the doll into the cake in an inconspicuous spot. If need be, you can push it in from the bottom

• Mix the butter, milk and powdered sugar getting out all of the lumps.
• Spread the icing over the ovals letting it run down the sides.
• Sprinkle the colored sprinkles over the cake in alternating patterns of green, gold and purple.