Description
Traditional New Orleans Style King Cake. Twisted but can be braided.
Ingredients
Scale
For dough
- 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- plastic baby charm
For cinnamon filling
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Colored Sprinkling Sugar (green, gold and purple)
Instructions
- Place warm water in large warm bowl.
- Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.
- Add warm milk, softened butter, sugar, nutmeg and salt; then add 1 cup flour; blend well.
- Stir in eggs and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
- Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease surface of dough.
- Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, (about 1 hour).
- Punch down dough.
- Remove to lightly floured surface; roll to 30- by 9-inch rectangle.
- Brush with melted butter; then sprinkle to within half-inch of edges with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal.
- With sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise; carefully turn halves so that the cut sides face up. Twist halves together, keeping cut sides up so filling is visible.
- As you are twisting, place charm somewhere in the center of the dough.
- Transfer dough to greased baking sheet.
- Shape into ring; pinch ends together to seal.
- Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 20 to 40 minutes)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done.
- Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack.
- Mix all icing ingredients together until smooth;
- Divide into three small bowls and tint purple, green and gold.
- Drizzle over the top of the cake, add colored sprinkling sugar (coarse grain sugar) as desired.
Notes
Adapted from a 1980’s recipe featured in the Times-Picayune Newspaper of New Orleans.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Party Food
- Cuisine: Southern
