A King Cake for Mardi Gras

By Joanne Lamb Hayes
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

At my house, Mardi Gras always caused a big debate. Are we going to have pancakes, doughnuts or King Cake? Now that everyone is grown up and my grandchildren get a vote, this King Cake easily wins but I suspect some members of the family might pick up a doughnut on their way to work or home from school.

The egg-free dough is easily prepared in a food processor or mixer and even very young children like to roll out, roll up, shape and taste a bite of the dough.

Making the frosting and coloring the sugar (if you can’t find all the colors – yellow, green and purple – in the supermarket) is even more fun. To color the sugar, divide it into three small plastic bags, add color a drop at a time and shake until it is the color you want (red and blue make purple, you knew that).

Although King Cake was originally associated with the celebration of the arrival of the Three Kings to Jerusalem on Twelfth Night (January 6), today in the United States it is most associated with Mardi Gras in New Orleans where the people explain that since they start celebrating Mardi Gras on January 6, why not have King Cake until the celebration is over? This year Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, is February 12.

Traditionally a plastic baby, pecan, or dried bean is imbedded in the cake and the person who finds it in their piece will have good luck all year but also has to provide the King Cake for the next year’s celebration. I like to frost two pecan halves together and insert them after baking so it won’t be mistaken as part of the filling.

Despite the long recipe, this is not complicated process – I can do the prep work in under 30 minutes and bake the cake in 30 minutes. There are four steps: 1) make the dough in a food processor, 2) fill and shape the dough, 3) bake, and 4) decorate. Because this is a yeast dough, you need to allow time for rising between steps so you’ll want to try this on the weekend.

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King Cake
Makes 12 servings

1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 package active dry yeast
3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, divided
4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Colored decorating sugar

1. Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar into 1 cup warm water (110ºF). Sprinkle yeast over water, stir and set aside 5 minutes till bubbly. Combine 2 cups of the flour, the remaining sugar, 3 tablespoons of the butter and salt in bowl of food processor or mixer. Add yeast mixture and process or beat smooth. Gradually process or beat in as much remaining flour as needed to make a smooth, manageable dough.
2. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead into a ball; coat with vegetable oil and place in bowl; cover and let rise in a very warm place 30 minutes
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon.
4. After 30 minutes, turn dough out onto well-floured work surface and roll out into 11- by 16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with pecan mixture and roll up from one long end to make a log; stretch to about 20-inches long. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment and arrange log into a 10-inch circle on pan. Moisten and pinch ends together. Cover and let rise in a very warm place 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon softened butter, vanilla and 2 to 3 teaspoons water to make a stiff glaze.
6. After 45 minutes, place cake in cold oven. Heat oven to 350ºF and bake cake until golden and sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack.
7. Make slit in bottom of cake and insert two pecans or plastic baby into cake. Stir glaze and spread over top of cake allowing it to drip down the sides. Immediately sprinkle with alternate bands of colored decorating sugar before frosting sets. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: For the decorating sugar, you will need 2 tablespoons each yellow, green and purple sugar. Alternatively use 6 tablespoons granulated sugar and yellow, green, and red+blue (to make purple) food coloring. To color the sugar, divide into three small plastic bags, add color a drop at a time and shake until it is the color you want.

Tip: A good very warm place to let dough rise is in the unheated oven accompanied by a saucepan of water that has just come to a boil.

Recipe by Joanne Lamb Hayes

Joanne Lamb Hayes is a New York City food writer, editor, food stylist and historian. She has developed, written and tested recipes for national magazines for decades. As Food Editor of Country Living magazine for 14 years, she shared her passion for cooking with fresh local ingredients. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. Joanne is the author or co- author of more than a dozen cookbooks.

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