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Quick Mardi Gras King Cake

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By Barbara Schieving
Updated Aug 28, 2017
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Laissez les bons temps rouler—let the good times roll—with these braided and buttery, cinnamon-filled cakes that are festively decorated with vibrant colors.

Quick Mardi Gras King Cake

  • Prep Time 60 min
  • Total 3 hr 30 min
  • Servings 12
  • Ingredients 15
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Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) Rapid Rise yeast
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces

Cinnamon Filling

  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Decoration

  • Dark green, purple, and yellow or gold sugars, if desired
  • Miniature plastic baby, if desired
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl of stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, on low for about 30 seconds.
  • Step 
    2
    Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and milk is between 120°F to 130°F.
  • Step 
    3
    With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed to make a soft dough. Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed.
  • Step 
    4
    Knead for eight minutes on low. The dough should completely clear the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading.
  • Step 
    5
    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Step 
    6
    While the dough is chilling, make cinnamon filling. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Combine butter with cinnamon mixture and mix well.
  • Step 
    7
    Roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. Fold the dough in half covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will stick together. Cut dough into three long strips. Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the edges together.
  • Step 
    8
    Transfer the ring to a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing. To hide the baby in the cake, if desired, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in after the cake has cooled.
  • Step 
    9
    Icing: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin).
  • Step 
    10
    Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors.

Nutrition

350 Calories
11g Total Fat
6g Protein
56g Total Carbohydrate
27g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
350
Calories from Fat
100
Total Fat
11g
17%
Saturated Fat
7g
33%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
60mg
19%
Sodium
220mg
9%
Potassium
105mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate
56g
19%
Dietary Fiber
1g
6%
Sugars
27g
Protein
6g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
8%
8%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
10%
10%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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