This homemade king cake recipe is stuffed up with cinnamon and sugar and topped off with a cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
Proofing Time: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total Time: 2 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Ingredients
For the Cake
1stick softened unsalted butter
1/2cup+ 1 tablespoon sugar
1teaspoonsalt
2eggs
juice of ½ lemon
1cupwarm whole milk, 110° to 115°
1packet of active yeast, 7 grams
4cupsall-purpose flour
¼cupmelted unsalted butter
1tablespoonground cinnamon
¼cuppacked light brown sugar
For the Icing
4ouncessoftened cream cheese
4ouncessoftened unsalted butter
1cuppowdered sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
whole milk as needed
2 tablespoons each purple, gold, and green granulated sugar
Instructions
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed, cream the butter until light and fluffy, which takes about 3-4 minutes.
While the butter is creaming, whisk together the warm whole milk (110° to 115°) with 1 tablespoon of sugar and active yeast in a medium-size bowl and let stand for 5-7 minutes or until a “raft” forms on top.
Next, go back to the butter and add in a ¼ cup of sugar and cream together for 1 to 2 minutes on high speed.
Pour in the salt and then 1 egg at a time just until mixed in. Pour in the lemon juice.
Next, pour in the milk and yeast mixture while the mixer is on low speed just until combined. It should look like creamed corn, sorry for the poor example but that’s what it looks like.
Replace the paddle attachment with the hook attachment and add in the flour in 3 batches until it’s mixed in.
Knead the dough on low to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be elastic-like but not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a container with a lid and place it in the oven cracked with only the light turned on. Note, the oven should not be on, only the light. Let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, in a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of sugar until combined and no sugar chunks exist.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a clean lightly floured surface.
Roll the dough out evenly until it is roughly 20” by 24” and then slice it in half longways.
Brush both pieces of the dough with melted butter and then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar mixture all over.
Roll each dough piece up to form a long rope-like dough. Be sure to pinch the seams shut.
Now, overlap the dough repeatedly to form a braid-like look.
Form the dough into a circle and pinch the two ends together. Transfer to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and loosely cover at room temperature and let stand for 30 more minutes, it will rise a bit more during this process and up to double in size.
Bake in the oven at 350° for 30-33 minutes or until golden brown and firm. When you tap on it, it should sound hollow.
Let it cool on a rack until it has completely cooled.
In a stand mixer with the paddle or whisk attachment whip together the softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter on high speed until it is light and fluffy, which takes about 4-5 minutes.
Next, turn the speed down to low and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract just until mixed in, and then turn it back to high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. If it is too thick, thin out with a tablespoon or two of whole milk.
Once the king cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the top and slightly over the sides, do not worry this does not need to be perfect.
Sprinkle on alternating gold, purple, and green sugar around the cake.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this king cake up to 1 day ahead of time. Keep covered at room temperature before serving.How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. This cake will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before serving.How to Serve: If you prefer to serve it warm add a slice to a pan and heat in the oven at 350° for 2-4 minutes or until warm. You can also heat it in the microwave.If you do not have a stand mixer when creaming the butter and sugar together for the king cake or the icing, you can use electric hand beaters.It’s always a good idea to turn the speed down on your mix to low when adding in dry or wet ingredients so they don’t shoot out everywhere.When using instant yeast, there is no need to wait until the raft forms in the milk, once it’s whisked in it is ready to use.You can simply knead the dough by hand when it gets to that stage if you do not have a stand mixer.