• Save

How to Make A King Cake Recipe

Learn how to Make a New Orleans Mardi Gras King Cake. No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without the iconic Mardi Gras King Cake.

King Cake History and Tradition

 

How to Make a King Cake | Iconic Mardi Gras Cake
  • Save

No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a King Cake. This cake is actually a sweetened yeast bread, usually baked in a ring shape. The cake is frosted with the traditional colors of Mardi Gras—gold, green, and purple—icing representing in order, power, faith, and justice. Although this cake is colorful and tasty, the real fun hides within the cake.

 

King Cake Surprise

 

How to Make a King Cake | Must have iconic Mardi Gras Cake
  • Save

 

The maker of each King Cake hides a token in the cake. The tokens used are a dried red bean or a figurine of a baby, representing the Christ child. When the cake is cut and shared, the finder of the hidden treasure is said to enjoy good luck for the coming year. The lucky recipient may also be expected to bake the King Cake or throw the Mardi Gras party for the following year.

 

Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rising Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 519kcal
Author: Kelly DiMascio
A king cake is a yummy Mardi Gras tradition.  A King Cake is a rich brioche dough and made with a variety of fillings like chocolate, cinnamon, and cream cheese.  This iconic sweet roll is delicious and festive, iced with green, gold, and purple. 
This Mardi Gras treat is eaten between January 6, known as King’s Day or Twelfth Night, and Mardi Gras know as Fat Tuesday. 
The colors of the icing are the colors of Mardi Gras) and have a deeper meaning. Gold represents power, green is associated with faith, and purple illustrates justice. King cake is baked in a ring, no center and has a surprise buried inside the batter - most cakes today are baked with a plastic baby inside, but traditional it could be a red bean, a gold coin or ring.  
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water - about 105 to 115 degrees
  • 2 t milk - scalded and cooled
  • 4 cups flour
  • 8 oz butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 t melted butter
  • 1 large egg - beaten
  • very small plastic doll - a large bean, ring or clean coin

GLAZE:

  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 t lemon juice
  • 2 to 3 T water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar colored with food coloring pastes: - green, purple, and yellow

Instructions

  • Dissolve yeast in warm water.
  • Add milk and about 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, blend butter, sugar, salt, and eggs.
  • Add yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.
  • Gradually, add 2 1/2 cups flour to make a medium dough.
  • Place in a greased bowl and brush with melted butter.
  • Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in volume, about 3 hours.
  • Use 1 cup or more flour to knead dough and roll into a 4-5 foot long rope.
  • Form into an oval on a 14 x 17" greased baking sheet, connecting ends of the rope with a few drops of water to make a good seal.
  • Press the doll, bean, or coin into the dough from the bottom.
  • Cover dough ring with a damp cloth and let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. 
  • Brush with egg.
  • Bake at 325° for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Cool on a wire rack.

For glaze

  • Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and enough water to achieve desired consistency.
  • Spread over cake.
  • Sprinkle with alternating bands of colored sugar.

Notes

 
Growing up in Mandeville, Louisiana our family bought our King Cake across the Lake at Gambino's Bakery in Metairie.  We made this trip to buy most of our special occasion cakes. Gambino's will ship you a king cake if you aren't a baker.
 
A King Cake should be delicious - not the dried out, bland pastry with neon frosting made by most grocery stores, so either make your own or order one from Gambino's.  You should actually want to eat the cake - not just find the baby.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2.3mg
Did you love this recipe? Please Share!Mention @MermaidsandMojitos or tag #mermaidsandmojitos!

  • Save

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Easy Recipes For Mardi Gras Party | Mermaids & Mojitos - […] King Cake […]

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Save
Learn WordPress 50% off
  • Save

Recent Posts

  • tidy garden to repel bugs
    • Save
    Chemical-free Secrets to a Bug Free Backyard
    Keep Bugs Away Outdoors.  These secret chemical-free hacks are guaranteed to keep your next backyard barbecue bug-free. Your guests will thank you. […]
    • Save
    How to Remove Chlorine from Hair After Swimming
    Learn how to quickly and easily remove chlorine from hair without spending a fortune on over-priced hair products that don't work. […]
    • Save
    Easy Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes
    35 Romantic Valentine's Day Recipes. There is nothing better than cooking a romantic dinner and enjoying Valentine’s Day dinner at home. Making a romantic dinner at home can be fun and easy - just stick with elegant, simple meals that come together in no time and are super easy to make. All these recipes are tried and true - each one tested and guaranteed to be easy and foolproof. […]
    • Save
    23 Easy Mardi Gras Recipes
    23 Easy Recipes for Mardi Gras. Celebrate Mardi Gras with easy recipes to feed a crowd.  Everything from Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Étouffée, Famous New Orleans Morning Call Beignets, King Cake, Pat O’Brien’s Copycat Hurricane Cocktail, a King Cake Martini and so much more... These super easy Mardi Gras recipes guarantee everyone will have a great time and you'll have time to spend with family and friends instead of slaving away in the kitchen. […]
    • Save
    Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites | Ready in 20 Minutes
    Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites. Delicious, Quick + Easy. Ready in 20 minutes. Everything you love about Buffalo wings without the bones + the mess. These little tasty beauties are spicy and zesty — the perfect finger food. + Since they aren't deep fried they are a healthier option. […]
Work Anywhere
  • Save
  • Save

More Recipe(

 < Eat  < Drink < Party <

Easy Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes

35 Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes. There is nothing better than cooking a romantic dinner and enjoying Valentine’s Day dinner at home. Making a romantic dinner at home can be fun and easy – just stick with elegant, simple meals that come together in no time and are super easy to make.
All these recipes are tried and true – each one tested and guaranteed to be easy and foolproof.

23 Easy Mardi Gras Recipes

23 Easy Recipes for Mardi Gras. Celebrate Mardi Gras with easy recipes to feed a crowd.  Everything from Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Étouffée, Famous New Orleans Morning Call Beignets, King Cake, Pat O’Brien’s Copycat Hurricane Cocktail, a King Cake Martini and so much more… These super easy Mardi Gras recipes guarantee everyone will have a great time and you’ll have time to spend with family and friends instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

  • Save

Recipes

  • Save

DIY + Create

Food Philosophy

I love serving homemade meals and entertaining, but I don’t love spending all my time in the kitchen… Sound familiar?  I’ll share my shortcuts for getting delicious, healthy food on the table – easy, fast & stress-free. All of my recipes have been tested on family and friends.  We love them and I hope you will too.

Kell-
  • Save

Kell-

Chief Mermaid & Mojito Maker

This is me hangin’ out on the boat – it’s an absolutely gorgeous day in the Florida Keys – doing what wannabe mermaids do best…splashing in the waves + soaking up the sun. Life’s amazing.  Want to learn more?  

Pin It on Pinterest

Share the Love.

Tell your friends!

Share via