King Cake

So what is a King Cake? Well those of you who know about Mardi Gras, know what a King Cake is. We lived in Louisiana for several years, and we learned all about how they do things down there. Crawfish, jambalaya, Tony's, the cooking trinity (green pepper, onion and celery),  gumbo, and Mardi Gras to name just a few. Hmmmm, most of that is food, maybe that's why I gained weight while I lived in Louisiana...

Today, I am going to tell you how to make a King Cake. I found a really easy recipe, but I changed it up a bit because some of my kids don't like fruit or cream filling.

For this recipe you will need frozen bread dough; flour; cinnamon; white sugar; melted butter; and green (symbolizes faith), purple (symbolizes justice), yellow sugar (to symbolize gold to symbolize power).

First, thaw the bread dough and let rise according to directions. You might want to spray your cookie sheet and the top of the bread so it won't stick.

Once it has risen to double the size, you are going to want to roll the dough out on a floured surface. You will need to roll it to about 
10 X 18. 

It takes a little while because it will keep springing back on you. Roll it out some, then let it rest some, then roll out some more til you get the desired size; and if it's a little smaller, that is fine. I got impatient, and it was a bit smaller. If you would like to see the original recipe and and a video of how they did it click here.

Once you got the dough rolled out then you brush on lots of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (this is where I changed the recipe up a bit).

Then you roll it and put it back on your baking sheet in the shape of an oval. Try to press the ends together. You may want to use a little water to get them to stick. After you have your shape, lightly brush it with butter or spray with cooking spray, cover and let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Then pop it into the oven at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.

Oh WOW! I should have made the hole in the middle A LOT bigger. Oh well, glad I didn't make this the first time for my party. It really didn't seal too well either. I'll have to work on that too.




Now comes the fun part....

I made a glaze using about 1 1/2 cups powered sugar, and 3 Tablespoons milk, 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla, and a Tablespoon of the left over melted butter I had for the middle. It was soft, but not melted.

Drizzle this on top of the cake and then sprinkle the purple, green and yellow sugar on top (I believe that is the proper order. I didn't do them in the proper order). I was very lucky to be able to find these colors. I actually found the sugar in the craft department at WalMart. I'm sure though if you went to an actual craft store, you might be able to find the more vibrant colors that are usually seen at Mardi Gra.

I added beads from a King Cake I had last year. If you do this, make sure you wash your beads very well, as you never know where they have been.

I did not put the baby into the cake as is tradition, but if that is what you want to do, then you need to do this before you glaze it. I just put him on top. 

What is the baby? The baby represents the Baby Jesus. The King Cake is made in honor of the Three Kings. You can read all about by clicking here. This website has all kinds of fun information about Mardi Gra. 

Well, hope you try this. It was actually pretty easy. Not sure how it taste yet, but it sure smells great! I will serve this one today during the Superbowl which is being played in New Orleans. If it tastes as good as it smells, I will be making another one next week for a gathering we are having at my house with some couples from church. 

HAPPY MARDI GRA!