King Cake, Baby!

Even though I’m a Louisiana Girl, I’ve never made a King Cake. That might have to do with the fact I perpetually make horrible things when it comes to baking. However, something happend within the last year, or so. Whenever I bake something, it’s actually edible. No, seriously, it is!

Perhaps, this is due to actually following the recipe. DUH! See, when you are predominantly a cook, you can toss this or that into a dish and know it will work. Well, usually! Not so much with baking, though. Consequently, I’ve had many, many, many disasters in the kitchen when it comes to baked goods. Just ask my husband, bless his heart!

This year, I decided I was going to make a King Cake, and was encouraged by a friend from my kids’ school. She even gave me a ‘baby’ to put inside of the King Cake. You do know about the baby, right? Well, if not, read up on that here [LINK]

Here’s what I came up with. Oh. My. Golly. Absolutely delicious. I made two King Cakes: one with a cream cheese filling and the other with cinnamon and sugar filling. I am sure you can pretty much load them with whatever suits your fancy. So go for it! Don’t be like me and wait nearly four decades to make these babies! [Ha! Ha! Babies, get it!?]

(Makes two King Cakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water, plus a smidgen extra
• 2/3 cup oil
• 4 Tbsp yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 7 cups flour

Filling Ingredients #1:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon flavoring or almond flavoring

Filling Ingredients #1:

• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• Mardi Gras colored sugars (yellow, purple and green)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the large bowl (or stand mixer, if you have it), combine water, oil, yeast, and sugar. Allow mixture to rest for 15 minutes. After which, add eggs, salt and flour. Stirring to combine well.  Place dough onto a well floured surface. Knead for two or three minutes. Then, divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle

For filing #1, mix ingredients into a bowl, until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-1.5 inch margin. For filing number #2, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter onto rectangle-shaped dough and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it.

For each King cake, roll up longways, which will result in a log. Make sure edges are sealed well (you could use a bit of water for this, if needed). Form the log into a circle, and press ends together well. Place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

After cakes come out of oven, mix confectioner’s sugar, cream and milk.  Drizzle over top of cake. This will be the glue for the colored sugars. Sprinkle colored sugars over glaze. If you have a plastic ‘baby’, slip it into the cake at any location from the bottom! It’s so much fun to see who gets it!

Now, I’m sure you should allow the cake to rest, but really, who in their right mind is actually going to do that? Uhm, we didn’t.

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