Festive King’s Cake

Total Time

Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Makes

1 cake (16 slices)

Updated: Sep. 23, 2022
In New Orleans, after the cake is baked a tiny toy baby is often inserted into it. Whoever gets the piece with the baby is supposed to have a year of good luck. The catch is they must also throw a Mardi Gras party next year. — Stacey West-Feather, Jay, Oklahoma
Festive King's Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 3/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • FILLING:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • TOPPING:
  • 1-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
  • Purple, yellow and green colored sugars

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, yeast, salt and 2 cups flour. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg yolks; beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
  2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
  3. For filling, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 24x6-in. rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar lengthwise down one half of the dough. Fold dough lengthwise over filling; pinch seam to seal. Transfer to a greased baking sheet, seam side down. Shape into a ring, pinching ends together to seal. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  4. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For topping, mix the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Spread over cake; sprinkle with colored sugars.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 332 calories, 11g fat (6g saturated fat), 88mg cholesterol, 368mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate (29g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.