Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable Version)

Festive brioche-style cake with cinnamon swirl and vibrant purple, green, and gold sugars.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
03 - 1/4 cup warm water
04 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling

11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Icing

14 - 2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

→ Decoration

17 - Purple, green, and gold decorating sugars

# Directions:

01 - Combine warm milk, warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and activated yeast mixture. Stir until combined, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.
04 - Punch down risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle.
05 - Brush melted butter evenly over the rolled dough. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle mixture uniformly over the buttered surface.
06 - Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam firmly to seal.
07 - Shape the log into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch the ends together securely to seal the circle.
08 - Cover loosely and let rise 45-60 minutes until puffy and slightly increased in size.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
11 - Drizzle icing evenly over the cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sugars in alternating bands while icing is still wet.
12 - Optionally insert a plastic baby figurine from underneath after baking and cooling. Ensure guests are aware of the hidden tradition.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The brioche dough is impossibly tender, almost melting in your mouth
  • That cinnamon sugar ribbon creates these incredible gooey pockets throughout
  • It looks absolutely stunning on a brunch table with those three traditional colors
02 -
  • The dough should feel tacky but not sticky, add a sprinkle of flour if it's clinging to everything
  • Sealing the ends of your ring tightly is crucial or it will pop open during baking
  • Let the cake cool completely before icing or all that beautiful glaze will melt right off
03 -
  • Add chopped pecans or raisins to the cinnamon filling for extra texture and tradition
  • If you can't find colored sugar, mix gel food coloring with regular sugar until you get the right shade

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