you don’t need beads to celebrate Mardi Gras

I have always wanted to try making a King Cake, a traditional Mardi Gras treat. So I figured since it is Sunday family dinner why not whip one up. I don’t have the plastic baby required to make it in true Mardi Gras style, but I don’t think this will affect the deliciousness. My Family Fun Magazine offered up a really easy version that I am trying. Sometimes I don’t have luck with dough rising so I was excited to find 2 hours later it had risen into a beautiful fluffy dough.

King Cake

Cake
4 Tablespoons Butter
½ cup Milk
1½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 package Active Dry Yeast
½ cup Warm Water
5¼ cups Flour
½ cup and 2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Eggs
Tiny baby doll (optional, I never use)
Filling
6 Tablespoons Butter
¾ cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Topping
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
Green Colored Sugar
Purple Colored Sugar

Microwave butter and milk together in a bowl.  Stirring every 30 seconds until the butter has melted.
Stir in the vanilla extract.  Let sit until the milk mixture is lukewarm temperature.
In a small bowl, pour the yeast into the warm water.  Stir once and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a third bowl (this one is large), stir together the flour and sugar.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
Pour the yeast water into the well and combine.
Pour the lukewarm milk mixture into the large bowl and combine.
Lightly beat the eggs, add to the large bowl, and combine.
Take the newly formed dough out of the large bowl and place on a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth.
Coat a large bowl in cooking spray.  Place the dough into the newly coated large bowl.  Cover the bowl in plastic wrap.
Place the dough in a warm location and let it rise for 2 hours.  It will double in size, so make sure your bowl is big enough.
Combine the 6 Tablespoons of softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Set aside.
Place parchment paper on a 13”x16” baking sheet.  Set aside.
Put the newly doubled dough on a lightly floured surface.  Use a rolling pin to form the dough into a 10”x16” shape.
Coat the dough with the filling.  Use an spatula to spread the filling out over the dough.  Leave a 1” strip along one 16” long side of the dough without any filling.
Starting on the side opposite from the filling-less side, roll the dough up “jelly roll-style.”  Use some water to help seal the dough, after it has been rolled.
Place a ramekin onto the center of the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Shape the roll into a circle around the ramekin.  Use water to seal together the ends of the roll of dough.
Using a knife, cut several (about 10) ½ inch deep slashes into the top of the dough around the entire ring.
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and place in a warm location.  Let the dough rise for another 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until it is light brown.  Check the cake after about 25 minutes of baking.
Let cool on a wire rake with the cake still on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
This would be the time to insert the baby doll into the top of the cake if using.
Let the cake cool for at least another 30 minutes.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until it is drizzling consistency, drizzle around the cake.
Top the cake with the colored sugar alternating between green and purple sugar.

this is how it looked when we dumped it out after rising

Then we rolled it out, lucky me, I had a “helper”

Then we spread the filling, it was a bit tricky at first but then the butter started to cooperate as it warmed up a bit more. A butter knife made it spread easiest.

Then we rolled it into a big log and pinched the edges shut

Then we turned it into a ring and left it to rise some more.

This is how it looked when it first came out of the oven, think of a giant cinnamon roll

 Oh my goodness, it was amazing, I had 3 slices, it was like a cinnamon roll but better, the dough came out so delicious, fluffy and sweet, almost like a donut dough. I highly recommend this cake any time of the year, not just for Mardi Gras. I think it was more of a breakfast cake than a dessert one, I would make it for company as a morning coffee cake next time around. Actually my hubby has already requested this for his homecoming cake, too funny. I shared with family and friends and everyone gave rave reviews.