Ok, so if you don’t feel like you can really invest in this, you should back out now!!! Just kidding! It is a labor of love and patience. You better have a magazine to read or something, because you’ve got two proofings to make it through. You can do it! The pay-off is worth it. I found the recipe through Southern Living Magazine. A few changes must be made, but no recipe is absolutely without tweak-ability. Let’s get into it!

Mardi Gras King Cake

Dough Recipe:

1 (16-ounce) container sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast

1 teaspoon of vanilla paste*

1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour*

*Vanilla Paste is amazing!!! It’s a better vanilla flavor than extract, and you get the vanilla bean flecks in there too.

*If you are in a pinch it will work just as well to use AP Flour.

Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100° to 110°.

Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

• This step is super important. Make sure the yeast is nice and frothy before you add it. You got to makes sure those little guys are working it right.

Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

 

Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle

*I find that the thinner you can roll out the pastry the better the final results will be. It creates more flaky layers within the final product.

This is the portion of the recipe I don’t agree with, The Filling. It is everything!! It does not matter how much love and pain you put into the pastry if the filling flops, the cake is a bust. Their recipe for the filling was lighter on flavor than I liked, and not really filling. So here is what we will do!

Filling Recipe:

2/3 Cups Butter, Softened

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup AP Flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon Ground Vietnamese Cinnamon

*Vietnamese cinnamon is perfect in this application. It’s warm and inviting. It smells like Christmas and tastes like heaven.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste (optional)

Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip all ingredients until smooth and completely incorporated. Spread the mixture evenly on each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border

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Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with second dough roll.

*Get your fingers wet and ready. Moisten the edges to hold the seal better. Pinch Like You Mean It!!!!!!

This is what the guys look like finished

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes).

Glaze Recipe:

4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Paste

2 to 4 teaspoons Milk

Mix the first three ingredients together until it begins to come together. Add teaspoons of milk one at a time, until you get a spreadable consistency. Spread over slightly cooled king cake and decorate. Traditional purple, green, and gold sanding sugar is a must. Williams-Sonoma actually sells one called Gold-Standard that is actually gold and not yellow!!

Isn’t It Great Being Festive!!!