Mardi Gras King Cake Cinnamon (Print View)
A festive brioche-style cake with cinnamon swirl and vibrant Mardi Gras sugar decoration.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
03 - 1/4 cup water, warmed
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Icing
14 - 2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
17 - Purple, green, and gold decorating sugars
# How to Make:
01 - Combine warm milk, warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Mix flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.
04 - Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle.
05 - Brush melted butter over the dough surface. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.
06 - Starting from the long edge, roll up the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam firmly to seal.
07 - Shape the log into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together to seal the circle completely.
08 - Cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes until puffy and slightly increased in size.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold decorating sugars in alternating bands while icing is still wet. Optionally insert a plastic baby figurine from underneath after baking and cooling.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dough comes together easier than you'd expect, especially if you let your mixer do the heavy lifting
- That moment when you pour the icing and the colored sugars stick like edible confetti feels genuinely magical
02 -
- The dough needs to be completely cool before icing, or you'll end up with a sad streaky mess instead of that beautiful white glaze
- Sealing the ends of the ring together takes more pressure than you think, give it a firm pinch
- The colored sugars only stick to wet icing, so work quickly and in sections
03 -
- If you can't find colored sugars, mix regular granulated sugar with food coloring and let it dry overnight
- A clean kitchen scissors works better than a knife for cutting the first few slices
- The ring shape bakes more evenly than a straight loaf, so don't be tempted to skip that step