Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable)
Sweet brioche dough with cinnamon sugar swirl, iced and adorned for a festive Mardi Gras treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup warm milk (110°F)
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Cinnamon Filling
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Icing & Decoration
14 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2–3 tbsp milk
16 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
18 - Purple, green, and gold colored sugars
19 - 1 small plastic baby (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine warm milk and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes until foamy. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the yeast mixture, then gradually mix in flour. Knead until a soft, smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a mixer and dough hook). Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.
02 - Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
03 - Punch down the risen dough and roll out on a floured surface to a 10x20-inch rectangle. Brush melted butter over the surface. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting from the long side, roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Transfer log to a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a ring, pinching ends together. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 30–45 minutes. Optionally tuck the plastic baby into the dough from underneath before baking.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
05 - Mix powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle with colored sugars in alternating sections of purple, green, and gold.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brioche dough strikes that perfect balance between tender and substantial, substantial enough to hold its shape but soft enough that youll find yourself cutting just one more sliver
- That cinnamon sugar ribbon creates these beautiful swirled pockets that caramelize slightly against the buttery dough while baking
02 -
- Let the dough rise in a genuinely warm spot, because cold drafts can make the yeast sluggish and youll end up with a denser cake than you want
- The dough needs to be completely cool before you add the icing, or those beautiful colored sugars will melt right into a muddy mess instead of staying vibrant and distinct
03 -
- Roll the dough as evenly as possible so your cinnamon spiral is consistent throughout the ring, giving you those beautiful cross sections when you slice
- Keep a close eye on it during the last five minutes of baking, because the high sugar content means it can go from golden to brown quickly