King Cake 101: History, Tradition, and The Best Recipe
With Mardi Gras coming up in early March, it is the perfect time of year to perfect your delicious King Cake Recipe! For those who don’t know, Mardi Gras is a tradition that dates back to the early Middle Ages. It was originally celebrated by European Christians to mark the beginning of lent. Now it is a holiday filled with vibrant festivals that feature parades, live music, and feasting.
Traditional Mardi Gras King Cakes includes a pastry that is shaped like a ring with a delicious cinnamon filling. On top lay icing or sprinkles displayed in the Mardi Gra Colors; purple, green, and gold. In addition, there is usually a hidden prize inside the cake for someone to collect. The person who finds the prize gets good luck for a year!
To make the dough, these are the ingredients you will need:
- 1 16 oz container of sour cream
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
- 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 ¾ cups bread flour
For the cream cheese filling, you will need:
- 2 (8 ounce) packages softened cream cheese
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
For the vanilla glaze, you will need:
- 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of whole milk, or more as needed
- purple, green, and gold/yellow sparkling sugars
Some helpful hints to consider
- Make sure the temperature for the yeast is exact (you’ll know it’s active when it’s bubbling)
- Don’t overcook the sour cream recipe! Otherwise you will make cheese:)
- The bread should double in size the two first times it is in the oven
