Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable)
Soft brioche dough swirled with cinnamon filling, topped with vibrant icing and festive sugars.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
02 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
→ Cinnamon Filling
09 - ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
12 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
→ Icing
13 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars
17 - Plastic baby figurine (optional)
# Step-by-step:
01 - Combine warm milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture with granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually incorporate flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
03 - Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a dough hook until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
05 - While dough rises, blend brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and softened butter until a smooth spreadable paste forms.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10×20 inch rectangle. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface, leaving a ½-inch border. Roll tightly from the long edge into a log.
07 - Pinch the seam to seal, then shape the log into an oval ring, connecting and pinching the ends securely. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
08 - Cover loosely and let rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
11 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in alternating diagonal stripes while icing remains wet.
12 - If using the traditional plastic baby, insert it into the underside of the cooled cake before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brioche dough is surprisingly forgiving for something that looks this impressive on the table
- That cinnamon spiral creates the most tender, fragrant crumb that keeps friends coming back for seconds
02 -
- Rolling the dough too thin makes the filling leak during baking, so aim for that happy medium thickness
- The dough might seem sticky at first but resist adding too much extra flour or the cake will turn out dense rather than light and tender
03 -
- Use kitchen shears to cut vents in the ring before baking if you notice any air pockets forming
- Warm your baking sheet in the oven while the dough rises for that extra oven spring that makes bakery breads so impressive