Fit for a king

King Cake

Here is my attempt at making a traditional king cake in celebration of Mardi Gras. I think it looks pretty. We'll see how it tastes, tomorrow.


and yes, I did put the symbolic baby Jesus in it...let's see who gets him. (Sandra!)

updated: 2/22/10

recipe adapted from Cajun Chef Ryan:

King Cake Dough

½	Cup	Warm water (110 degrees F.)
2	Pkg	Active dry yeast
½	Cup	Sugar (plus 2 tsp)
4½	Cups	All purpose flour, un-sifted
1	Tsp	Nutmeg, ground or fresh grated
2	Tsp	Salt
1	Tsp	Lemon zest
½	Cup	Warm Milk (110 degrees F.)
5	Each	Egg yolks
1	Stick	Butter, (plus 2 Tbsp) softened
1	Each	Egg and 1 Tbsp milk beaten (egg wash)
1	Tbsp	Cinnamon

Procedure Steps (preheat oven to 350 degrees F)
1.	In a small bowl add the warm water and sprinkle in the yeast with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for 5 minutes then mix well. Set the bowl in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles and mixture almost doubles in volume.
2.	Combine 3½ cups flour with ½ cup sugar, nutmeg and salt, then sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon zest.
3.	Create a “hole” in the middle of the bowl with the flour mixture on the sides of the bowl. Gently pour in the yeast mixture and the warm milk into the flour mixture. Add the egg yolks and combine the dry ingredients with the wet mixture. When the dough is smooth cut in the stick of butter 1 Tbsp at a time and continue to fold and combine until the dough can be formed into a soft ball shape.
4.	Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead adding up to another cup of flour in small tablespoon portions at a time. Continue to knead the dough until smooth, shiny and elastic, about 10 minutes or so.
5.	Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with 1 Tbsp softened butter. Place the dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a draft-free place for about 1½ hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Using a pastry brush coat a large baking sheet pan with 1 Tbsp of butter and set aside.
6.	Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Using your fist punch down the dough with a heavy blow. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and roll the dough into a cylinder or tube shape. Twist the dough to form a curled cylinder and loop it onto the buttered baking sheet pan. Pinch the ends of the dough together to complete the circle.
7.	Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rise again in a draft-free warm location for about 45 minutes or until the dough circle doubles in volume.
8.	Brush the top and sides of the dough with the egg wash and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool cake to room temperature on a wire rack. Now is the time to hide the bean or plastic baby.

Tinted Sugars
1½	Cups	Granulated sugar
¼	Tsp	Purple food color
¼	Tsp	Green food color
¼	Tsp	Yellow food color

Procedure Steps

1.

While the cake is cooling prepare the tinted sugars by taking three separate bowls with ½ cup of sugar in each. Then take the purple food color and slowly drop a dot or two at a time into the sugar. Using a spoon stir to mix and spread the color around until all sugar is tinted. Add more food color as needed. Repeat the process for the green and then the yellow in their own bowls as well. Set the tinted sugars aside.

Icing
3	Cups	Powdered confectioners sugar
¼	Cup	Fresh lemon juice, strained
3 to 6	Tbsp	Water

Procedure Steps
1.	Combine the sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water in a deep bowl whisking until smooth. If icing is too stiff whisk in 1 tablespoon water at a time until spreadable.
2.	Place cooled cake onto a serving platter or heavy cake cardboard and coat the top and sides of the cake with the icing. I like to dip my fingers into the icing and then drizzle it over the top of the cake. While the icing is still fresh immediately sprinkle the tinted sugars in individual rows about 2 to 3 inches wide of the purple, green and gold (yellow).

If preparing in advance allow the icing and tinted sugars to set up a bit then cover with a plastic bag or plastic wrap. Typically a King Cake can last 2-3 days un-refrigerated.

Note On Fillings: If filling the cake you will want to have your filling prepared prior to the step where you are twisting the dough. In fact, for filled King Cake dough’s I will roll the dough out similar to cinnamon roll or danish dough style, instead of the cylinder shape as described above. Then I will sprinkle more cinnamon sugar and then add the filling. Then the dough will get rolled up around the filling jelly roll style. Then the filled dough is added to the baking sheet pan and looped into the circle and pinched before the second rising and baking stages. Typical fillings include sweetened and softened cream cheese, cherry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, lemon filling, custard filling, and my favorite is a double chocolate chocolate cake filling. Typically any pie or doughnut filling will work, you are only limited by your imagination.

**for filling- I rolled out the dough and placed globs of almond paste (about half a tube) to cover as much of the dough as possible. I then sprinkled sliced almonds on top of the paste (about 1/2 cup), rolled the dough into a cylinder, pinched the edges together and set aside for the second rise. (step 7 in dough preparation)