Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable Version)
A tender brioche-style cake with cinnamon swirl and festive icing for Mardi Gras celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk, lukewarm
03 - 1/4 cup warm water
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
08 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
09 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling
11 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
→ Icing & Decoration
14 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2–3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
17 - Purple, green, and gold/yellow colored sanding sugar
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
02 - Whisk together milk, eggs, softened butter, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the foamy yeast mixture and stir to combine.
03 - Gradually add flour to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1–1.5 hours.
05 - Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20 inch rectangle.
06 - Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush the dough rectangle with melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the surface.
07 - Roll up tightly from the long side to form a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape into a ring, pinching the ends together. Optionally hide a plastic baby or bean inside from beneath.
08 - Cover and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
09 - Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - Stir powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in sections to create the traditional Mardi Gras appearance.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brioche dough is impossibly tender, thanks to all that butter and eggs
- That cinnamon sugar ribbon creates the most irresistible swirl in every slice
- Decorating with the traditional colors turns dessert into a celebration
02 -
- The dough needs time and patience, rushing the rising process gives you dense bread instead of fluffy cake
- Seal that seam tight when you roll it up or the cinnamon sugar will leak everywhere in the oven
- Let the cake cool completely before icing or the glaze will melt right off
03 -
- Use kitchen shears to cut the dough into strips before shaping if you want a more braided appearance
- A small dab of water helps seal the ends together when forming the ring