Best Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe

This Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe is a beloved New Orleans Mardi Gras dessert. it is a soft and sweet ring-shaped bread similar to a brioche filled with cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a colorful glaze. Nothing compares to your own delicious homemade King Cake. Sure to be loved by all at every Mardi Gras Party!

You should also try my Mardi Gras Bundt cake recipe, you will also like it!

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Why you'll love recipe for King cake:

• Fluffy dough: The best part me be the dough! It is perfectly soft and fluffy!
• Amazing filling: The filling is a delicious combination of warm spices, nuts, and dried fruits, making every bite a burst of flavor.
• Labor of love: Making a homemade dough does take some time, but is so worth the time and effort!
• Better than store-bought: When you try this recipe, you'll see why it's so much better than any thing you'll buy in a store.

Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake

I baked this cake more than 10 years ago and thought to update this post a little bit!

I'm well aware that I completely missed Mardi Gras by almost a week. I know that King Cakes are usually adorned with pretty sprinkles. I think that King Cakes should be made any time of the year because it is that good.

I am not sure why I've never made it before. I only recently had my first King Cake at my children's school one year. A parent had one delivered to one of their classes from a bakery and a war ensued over who could keep the baby. Nevertheless, it was a delicious cake and I kept thinking that one day I should bake one.

What is a Mardi Gras King Cake?

A sweet roll dough or even brioche or sweet roll dough that is sometimes braided or filled and is baked in a circle. The cake gets decorated with colorful icing and could be sprinkled with green and gold sugars

You will only find King Cakes from the Epiphany, (January 6th) to Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras). In the south, they would bake really rich pastries to prepare for Lent and also clean their kitchens of all their sugar, butter and eggs

What ingredients do you need to make the best recipe King Cake?

Here is all you need to make this yeast based sweet treat. Full printable recipe is below.

For the dough:

• Active dry yeast: used to help the dough rise and give it a fluffy texture.
• All-purpose flour: used as the main ingredient in making the dough, provides structure and texture to the final product.
• Granulated sugar: adds sweetness to the dough and helps with yeast fermentation.
• Sea salt: enhances flavor of the dough and helps regulate yeast growth.
• Eggs: help to bind the dough together and make it more fluffy.
• Oil: helps to bring the dough together. You could use a mild flavored oil.

For the filling:

• Raisins: adds bit of sweetness to the filling.
• Rum: or whatever booze you prefer or even orange juice if you don't want to use booze.
• Packed dark brown sugar: adds sweetness to the filling.
• Walnuts: add crunch to the filling. You could also use pecans.
• Vanilla extract: adds a a touch of vanilla flavor to the filling.
• Ground cinnamon: adds a bit of warm spice to the filling.

Glaze:

• Confectioner's sugar: The confectioner's sugar gets mixed with water to make the glaze.
• Food coloring: Yellow, green and purple food coloring (or colored sprinkles) gets mixed with the glaze to create the colored patches.

How to make a King Cake?

Full printable recipe is below:

• For the filling: In a small bowl, add the filling ingredients. Mix together and set aside.
• For the dough: In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast. Mix until blended.  Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined.  Add another 2 cups of the flour, the honey, oil, and salt.  Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Slowly add the rest of the flour (the remaining 4 cups) and mix until combined. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed for 12 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don't want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.

• Let dough rise: Take dough out of mixer bowl, form into a ball and coat with a light film of canola oil.
  Place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 ½ hours).
• Roll out dough: On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 20-by-7-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you.

Add filling: Spoon the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the top and bottom.

Fold the bottom and then the top edge over the filling to make a tight roll; pinch to seal. Transfer the roll seam-side down to a parchment-lined baking sheet; tuck one end into the other to form a ring. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the ring doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cake until firm and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Mix 3 tablespoons water with the confectioners' sugar. Separate into 3 small bowls. Add a drop of each color food coloring and stir together. Add more water or confectioner's sugar to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spread in alternating sections over the cake.

Variations for New Orleans kings cake:

• For a richer flavor, you can add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dough mixture.
• Instead of canola oil, you can use melted butter or coconut oil for coating the dough.
• If you want to make it more festive, you can add in ½ cup of dried cranberries or cherries to the filling mixture.
• For a vegan option, you can substitute the butter with plant-based butter and use almond milk instead of regular milk for the dough.
• You can also add in some chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans, to the filling for added texture and flavor.

How to store a king cake:

• Storage: To ensure your freshly-sliced cake or leftovers stay fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
• Freeze your cake: Allow the cake to cool entirely and secure it in a combination of plastic wrap and foil. Place the cake in your freezer for up to 2 months, then thaw it at room temperature overnight before decorating with frosting prior to its consumption.

The Tradition of the King Cake

Deriving its name from the Three Kings of the Bible, King cakes are a timeless tradition celebrated as part of Epiphany at the end of 12 Days of Christmas. This delicious delicacy is known in France as Galette des Rois, Spain recognizes it as Rosca de Reyes, and Greeks call it vasilopita!

Every year, the Mardi Gras season is marked by feasting and merry-making. One of the most iconic symbols of this time of year is the King Cake. This sweet treat originated in France before being brought to Louisiana where it has become an integral part of Mardi Gras celebrations.

Each cake holds a tiny trinket which symbolizes luck and good fortune. The person who gets the trinket in their piece of cake is said to have luck in the coming year.

FAQ's

Some other cake recipes to enjoy:

• Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake
• Orange-Glazed Polenta Cake
• Chocolate-Rye Crumb Cake

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5 from 6 votes

Best Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe

This Best Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe is a beloved New Orleans Mardi Gras dessert. It is a soft and sweet ring-shaped bread similar to a brioche filled with cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a colorful glaze. Nothing compares to your own delicious homemade King Cake. Sure to be loved by all at every Mardi Gras Party!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: King cake, Mardi Gras, yeast dough

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Lora

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 package 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water no more than 110°F [43°C]
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 4 ½ to 5 cups bread flour or 5 ½ to 6 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup peanut corn, or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

For the filling:

• ½ cup  raisins
• ¼ cup rum or whatever booze you prefer or even orange juice
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• food coloring yellow, green and purple food coloring (or colored sprinkles)

Instructions

For the filling:

• In a small bowl, add the filling ingredients. Mix together and set aside.

For the dough:

• In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast. Mix until blended. 
• Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined. 
• Add another 2 cups of the flour, the honey, oil, and salt.  Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
• Slowly add the rest of the flour (the remaining 4 cups) and mix until combined. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed for 12 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don't want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
• Take dough out of mixer bowl, form into a ball and coat with a light film of canola oil.
• Place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 ½ hours).
• On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 20-by-7-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you.
• Spoon the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the top and bottom.
• Fold the bottom and then the top edge over the filling to make a tight roll; pinch to seal. Transfer the roll seam-side down to a parchment-lined baking sheet; tuck one end into the other to form a ring. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the ring doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cake until firm and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For the icing:

• Mix 3 tablespoons water with the confectioners' sugar. Separate into 3 small bowls.(You may need more confectioner's sugar) Add a drop of each color food coloring and stir together. Add more water or confectioner's sugar to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spread in alternating sections over the completely cooled down cake.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Notes

• Servings: It should yield 20-24 1-inch slices. It may yield less if you cut thicker slices. 
• Icing: You could even put colored sprinkles on the icing. 

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

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