King Cake: A Mardi Gras Tradition

 

 King Cake is a delicious and festive treat that is traditionally served on Mardi Gras. It is a ring-shaped cake that is filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with colorful sprinkles. King Cake is also known as the "King Cake" because a small plastic baby inside the cake. The person who finds the baby in their slice of cake is said to be the "King" or "Queen" of the Mardi Gras celebration.

 

King Cake is a fun and delicious way to celebrate Mardi Gras with your friends and family. Here is a recipe for a classic King Cake:

 

Ingredients:

 

Dough:

1 cup warm milk

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

3 large eggs

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1 egg, beaten

Colored sugar

Instructions:

 

Make the dough:

 

In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.

Add the salt, shortening, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes, then on high speed for 5 minutes more.

Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Make the filling:

 

In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Assemble the cake:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a large baking sheet.

Punch down the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.

Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Roll up the dough tightly, starting from one of the long sides.

Pinch the seam closed and form the dough into a ring shape.

Place the ring on the prepared baking sheet and pinch the ends together to seal.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Brush the dough with the beaten egg.

Sprinkle with the colored sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

 

To make a more festive King Cake, you can add a small plastic baby to the filling before rolling up the dough.

You can also use different colors of sugar to decorate your King Cake.

King Cake is best served fresh, but it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Enjoy your King Cake!

 

Happy Mardi Gras!