This bright and colorful King Cake is a traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras recipe. Made with a rich brioche dough and decorated with colored sugar, it’s so perfectly festive!
Best King Cake Recipe
This bright and colorful King Cake is traditionally served for Mardi Gras. It’s fun and festive, and is a must at any New Orleans party!
Traditionally a small baby figurine is placed inside the cake, and whoever gets the piece with it in wins a prize! So fun!
Light and airy and filled with brown sugar and cinnamon, this brightly decorated cake is sure to be a hit!
Why You’ll Love this Easy King Cake:
- Celebration Cake: Traditionally served for Mardi Gras, but honestly, this fun cake is perfect for any celebration!
- Make Ahead: Make this cake a couple of days ahead of when you plan to serve it.
- Fun! Whether or not you decide to place a figurine inside, this is such a fun cake to share. It’s so bright and colorful and guaranteed to make everyone smile!
If you need another festive treat, try this King Cake Cheesecake or these Mardi Gras Cupcakes!
How to Make King Cake for Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Combine the yeast with the sugar, salt, and warm water and let sit.
- Add the melted butter and flour to the yeast and stir together.
- Knead until smooth.
- Let rise.
- Mix the melted butter with the sugars and cinnamon.
- Punch the dough down and knead again.
- Roll into a long rectangle and cut into 3 strips.
- Place the filling over each strip and pinch together to seal.
- Braid the strips and form into a circle. Let rise.
- Brush with egg wash and bake.
- Let cool, ice, and decorate.
This King Cake recipe tastes like cinnamon rolls, and yes, it’s totally acceptable to enjoy this for breakfast! The sweet pastry dough is fairly rich, and with the brown sugar and cinnamon filling, you won’t be able to get enough of it!
Once the cake has fully cooled and you have decorated it, store it in an airtight container or wrap it with plastic wrap. It will keep well for 2-3 days either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
It’s best not to freeze your King Cake. It will still be edible, but the texture is likely to change quite considerably. When the cake thaws, it will release moisture which can make the dough soggy. If you have to freeze it, wrap it well, and when defrosting it, place it on a cooling rack so that the air circulates around.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skip the time it takes for the dough to rise. This is what gives your King Cake its light and fluffy texture.
- Bake the cake in a fully preheated oven to ensure that it bakes evenly.
- Let the cake cool completely before icing and decorating. You can make the cake the day before you decorate it.
This king cake recipe is sure to delight everyone when you serve it! This traditional Mardi Gras cake is perfect for celebrating!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Best King Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast 7 grams (1 envelope)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water 227 grams, about 110°F
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams, melted (¼ stick)
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour 330 grams
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 13 grams
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams, melted (¼ stick)
- ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
For the Topping
- 1 large egg 50 grams, whisked, for egg wash
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar 140 grams
- ¼ cup milk 57 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- Sprinkles green, purple, and gold
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Instant Read Thermometer (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water. Gently stir together and allow it to sit while the yeast blooms and becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup warm water
- Once it’s foam-like, transfer the yeast mixture to a large glass mixing bowl, and add in the melted butter and flour. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir together until the dough becomes flaky. Remove from the bowl and place on a clean, lightly-floured work surface. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, adding up to an additional ¼ cup (30g) of flour if needed.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Place the dough back into a large bowl lightly coated with vegetable oil, rolling the dough to coat it with the oil. Place a warm and damp dish towel over the bowl and let the dough sit for about 30 minutes to rise.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling: In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Set the bowl aside when done.½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Once the dough has risen to about double in size, punch down the dough to release the air. Place the dough on a clean work surface and knead again for about one minute. Roll the dough into a long rectangle shape, about 14-16 inches in length and 9 inches in width. Cut into three equal strips and spoon filling mixture over each strip. Stretch each strip if necessary so they are the same length. Pinch each seam together.
- Gently, braid the strips and then form into a circle shape, pinching off the ends, and tuck them under. Place the bread onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in a warm, sheltered area away from cool air or breezes so the dough can continue to rise for 30-45 minutes.
- While the braided dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush with the whisked egg wash, and then place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top of the bread begins to turn golden brown.1 large egg
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing drizzle by combining the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir the ingredients until it is a white icing.1¼ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Drizzle over the cake and while the icing is still wet, sprinkle the individual colors of sprinkles or sugars over the cake.Sprinkles
- If you want to hide a “baby” in the cake, cut a small slit in the top of the cake and place the baby inside, before icing.
- Cut into 10-12 slices and serve.
Notes
- Don’t skip the time it takes for the dough to rise. This is what gives your King Cake its light and fluffy texture.
- Bake the cake in a fully preheated oven to ensure that it bakes evenly.
- Let the cake cool completely before icing and decorating. You can make the cake the day before you decorate it.
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