Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable Version)
Soft brioche dough filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with vibrant icing and sanding sugars.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
→ Cinnamon Filling
09 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
→ Icing
13 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars
17 - Plastic baby figurine (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Combine warm milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy.
02 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the activated yeast mixture with granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually incorporate flour, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes by hand, or use a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or damp towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
05 - While dough rises, combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, and softened butter in a small bowl. Mix until a spreadable paste forms.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges.
07 - Starting from the long side, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal, then form into a ring by bringing ends together and pinching to close.
08 - Transfer ring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until puffy and expanded, about 45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
11 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in alternating stripes while icing is wet.
12 - If using, insert plastic baby figurine into the underside of the cooled cake before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brioche dough is incredibly forgiving, even for nervous bakers trying their hand at yeast breads for the first time
- That moment when you drizzle the icing and scatter the colorful sugars feels like pure, festive magic
- One cake feeds a crowd and makes any Tuesday morning feel like Mardi Gras
02 -
- Warm milk should feel like bath water, not hot tap water, otherwise you'll kill the yeast and nothing will rise
- The dough needs two separate rises, and rushing either one results in a denser, less flavorful cake
- Let the cake cool completely before icing, or the icing will melt right off and you'll have a mess instead of stripes
03 -
- For extra richness, brush the baked cake with melted butter before icing it
- The cake actually tastes better on day two, so make it the night before your celebration
- If you can't find sanding sugar, coarse decorating sugar works just as well