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King Cake Recipe

Celebrate Mardi Gras with a homemade King Cake, rich sweet dough filled with cinnamon and sugar! If you can’t make it to New Orleans make one at home with this surprisingly simple king cake recipe. (Don't forget the small plastic baby!)
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 732kcal

Ingredients

King Cake Dough

  • 7 grams instant yeast (¼ oz or 1 packet)
  • 3 ounces brown sugar (⅓ cup)
  • 18 ounces all purpose flour  (3 ⅓ cup) (or bread flour)
  • 6 ounces whole milk (¾ cup) warmed to 110°F
  • 5 ounces unsalted butter  (½ cup + 2 Tbsp)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt

King Cake Filling

  • 4 ounces granulated sugar (½ cup)
  • 4 ounces brown sugar (½ cup)
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter (½ cup) softened
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 Tablespoons cinnamon

King Cake Icing

  • 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • 2 ounces buttermilk (¼ cup)
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 1 teaspoon water as needed
  • gold, green, and purple sprinkles
  • 1 teaspoon yellow gel food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon green gel food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon purple gel food coloring

Instructions

Making the Dough

  • Combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients for a few seconds to distribute the yeast evenly.
  • In a heat safe container, combine the milk and butter and heat to 110°F. This can be done in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
  • While the mixer is running on low, pour in the milk and butter and then add the eggs, one at a time. 
  • Once the eggs have begun to incorporate, sprinkle in the salt. The salt is added last to give the yeast more of a chance to thrive.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Continue to mix on medium-low speed for 10-15 minutes to develop the gluten. 
  • After 10 minutes of mixing, check to see if the gluten is properly developed by using the “window test.” Stretch a piece of dough between your fingers and slowly pull it thin enough to see light coming through. If the dough tears, let it continue to mix for another 5 minutes.
  • Once the dough is ready, cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm area for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size. Because of the added butter to the dough, it will not stick to the bowl. I like to place mine in my oven (turned off!) with the oven light on and the door cracked open. 

Making the Filling

  • Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
  • Add the cinnamon and mix slowly until fully combined and smooth.
  • Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds so the mixture is a soft, easily spreadable consistency. If the filling mixture is hot it will warm the dough upon contact making it more difficult to move and shape, so keeping it at a moderate temperature is easier.

Forming the King Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • When the dough is ready, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface. You will know your dough is ready because it has doubled in size and also keeps the indentation when you give it a poke.
  • Gently spread the dough with your hands and then begin to roll it out to about a 10”x 20” rectangle with a rolling pin.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on the dough evenly, leaving a border around the edges. If the filling is too thick in some spots it can bake unevenly.
  • On the long side of the rectangle of dough, begin to roll up the dough evenly forming a long tube. Roll the dough gently and not too tightly, we want the dough to be able to expand while proofing.
  • Once you reach the end of the dough roll, pinch the seam of the dough together. Brush a little water on the edge to help it stick to itself.
  • Carefully place the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
  • Trim the excess dough with no filling off one end of the dough ring. Stretch back the dough on the other end of the roll and place the other end into it, overlapping to seal off the circle. Use a little water to seal the seam to the dough.
  • Cover the king cake and place it in a warm spot to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Baking the King Cake

  • Once the dough has risen and is puffed and soft, it is ready to bake. With a sharp knife or scissors, cut some vents around the top of the cake to allow it to expand. It will explode if you don’t. 
  • Bake the king cake in a 350°F oven for about 30-40 minutes. 
  • Rotate the cake halfway through baking to ensure even browning. The center of the dough should be near 190°F when it is finished baking, and it should be golden brown. Some filling will have spilled out, but it is okay, there is still plenty inside of the cake.
  • Let the cake cool on the pan.
  • Insert the plastic baby inside the cake. This is completely optional. Cut a small hole and push the plastic baby in. Later you’ll cover it with frosting to disguise where the plastic baby is.
  • Once the cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate. 

Icing the King Cake

  • In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract on high with a whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out as needed. 
  • Separate the icing into 3 bowls and add green, yellow, and purple food coloring. One color per bowl. Color the icing to your desired shade of color. The icing can also be left white.
  • Drizzle the colored icing in sections around the ring of cake, then cover with the corresponding colored sprinkles before the icing dries. 
  • Let the icing set before cutting into the cake. It can be stored at room temperature but sealed in an airtight container. Though this is best eaten the same day, it is just as good days later warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 76g | Vitamin A: 841IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg