I know we are 5 months away from Mardi Gras but since my last post, many have asked for this recipe. My first memory of King Cake is one from McKenzie’s. I have found many better than the plain ring decorated with colored sugar and two cherry halves. But this one will always be my first King Cake.
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
4 cup flour
FILLING:
1/2 king cake recipe1
6 oz cherry, apple or apricot pie filling
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon flour
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 dried bean
yellow, green purple sugars
Mix the yeast with the warm water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the flour into the yeast and set aside. By the time you have measured the other ingredients, the yeast should start bubbling.
Bring the milk to a boil and stir in the butter and the sugar. Pour into a large bowl; the mixture should be lukewarm. Beat in the egg yolks, whole eggs and the yeast.
Beat in approximately 2 cups of flour, until the dough is fairly smooth, then gradually add enough additional flour to make a soft dough that you can form into a ball. Knead it, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, turn the dough once or twice in it to grease it lightly all over, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size – about 1 1/2 hours.
Pat dough down and cover the bowl with a damp towel, plastic film over that and refrigerate until the next day. This recipe makes enough dough for two king cakes.
Remove dough with floured hands, while it’s firm and cold, shape into a long sausage shape. Using a floured roller on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 30X9 rectangle about as thick as pie crust. Let the dough rest.
Drain extra juice from pie filling. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, flour, egg yolks and vanilla. Spoon an inch wide strip of fruit filling the length of the dough, about 3 inches from the edge. Spoon the cream cheese mixture alongside the fruit, about 3 inches from the other edge. Brush both sides of dough with egg wash. Insert the bean. *
Fold one edge of dough over the cream cheese and fruit, then the other edge over. Gently place one end of the filled roll onto a large greased cookie sheet. Ease the rest of the roll onto the pan, joining the ends to form a circle or oval. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Brush again with egg wash and cut deep vents into the cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or cake is well risen and golden. Cool before icing with confectioner’s sugar mixed with enough water to make a spreadable paste and tinted purple, green and gold.
* If using a plastic baby instead of the bean, insert it into the bottom of the cake after it is baked.
Enjoy!!!
