King Cake

Name: Kings Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 400 gm flour; 40 gm castor sugar; 7 gm instant yeast; 1 tsp salt; 120 ml warm milk; 113 gm brown butter; 100 gm yogurt; 1 egg; 60 gm butter (melted); 165 gm brown sugar; 1 tbsp cinnamon powder; 250 gm icing sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp lemon juice; Green (Yellow & Purple Food coloring gel)

King Cake is also known as Three Kings Cake and is associated with the Biblical Epiphany. Made with a sweet, buttery rich brioche bread dough layered with cinnamon butter and topped with a lemon vanilla icing. This one is eaten up until Mardi Gras.

A King Cake is also known as a three kings cake, which is associated with King’s Day or the 12th night of Christmas and Fat Tuesday is eaten on January 6th in honor of the Epiphany which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to baby Jesus. It is a symbol of celebrated all through the world and different cultures celebrate it with a variety of traditions. This specific recipe for king cake is associated with the celebrations of Mardi Gras as well. This bread is baked with a tiny plastic doll inside so at random someone will get it once its cut into.

What is king cake? What does king cake symbolize?

It is a sweet pastry, cake, bread that is circular and the centerpiece of a historical Catholic celebrations known as the Epiphany which falls on January 6th. However, today you can find it in various forms of celebrations all over the world. It is said to have originated in Old World France and Spain and came to be associated with the Epiphany during the Middle Ages. When it was brought to the New World along with Catholicism and Christianity the tradition evolved further, according to Eater.

Kings cake from around the world:

In France they make Galette de Rois for the same occasion which is an almond puff pastry confectionary they usually hid a “feve” or bean inside the pastry. In Spain & Latin America they will serve Rosca de reyes which is a ring shaped sweet bread that can be topped with candied fruit, in addition to a light layer of icing. In Portugal they have Bolo rei which is a ring shaped bread filled with candied fruit and nuts. In Greece & Cyprus, Vasilopita is commonly served on New years day and served all through the 12the day of Christmas it resembles the French galette with almonds on top and usually is baked with a coin inside. In Bulgaria you will find Banista which is often served on new years ever and also other special occasions but mainly served all through the season until January 6th.

What is so special about king cake?

This king cake is is commonly found in America aka Louisiana style king cakes which consist of a circular/oval confectionery that is buttery, soft and very rich, which is further smothered in vanilla icing and colored sprinkles. There is usually a trinket aka plastic baby hidden inside the dough before baking.

Why is king cake so expensive?

Kings cake is meant to be rich and filled with butter, eggs, sugar, spices, fruits and nuts. These ingredients back in the day were not cheap or easy to source, also the cake was ritually topped with ornaments to showcase its grandeur, today however they use plastic toys, fake jewelry and pantry ingredients to make kings cake.

Why is it called kings cake?

Since it is first served on Kings Day (January 6th) and lasts through the eve of Mardi Gras to celebrate the coming of the three kings and to honor their crowned jewels.

What do the colors of the king cake mean?

The colors used on this king cake has a specific significance. Green represents faith, purple is for justice and gold/yellow is for power.

Why is king cake a circle?

What ever the confectionary being prepared to celebrate the occasion, it is always shaped into circle or oval shape to resemble the kings crown. It is also topped with many decorations to promote the celebratory vibes.

What culture is king cake from?

Kings cake is found all ver the world in a variety of celebrations. However it stems from the catholic celebrations of the 3 kings feast which is celebrated on the 12th day of christmas aka January 6th.

Is king cake a dessert?

Most often than not yes, even if the recipes are different they are mainly sweet so they can be enjoyed as a dessert. This recipe is an enriched brioche bread dough that is swirled with cinnamon butter similar to that of a giant cinnamon roll, which is glazed with vanilla icing but I have made a vanilla lemon icing to cut the sweetness.

What are the rules for king cake? What is the tradition of the King cake and the Baby?

Every king cake must contain a trinket of some sort, commonly used is a tiny plastic baby that is baked into the recipe and when it is cut, the person who gets the trinket gets to be the “King”/“Queen” for a day and also must bring the Kings cake next year. But also finding the trinket symbolizes luck and prosperity.

What ingredients do you need to make King Cake?

To make this king cake we need to make a brioche dough, the cinnamon filling and the icing on top. We will discuss each part individually with a few substitutes to make it easy to prepare. A lot of these ingredients are not difficult to find and would already be in your kitchen pantry.

Brioche dough –

To make the dough we need flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast, butter, milk, egg and yogurt. Now I have used all purpose flour to make this bread but you can use bread flour or self raising flour as well. If you want to make this gluten free, use a gluten free flour mix which includes xanthin gum as it will help bind the dough and give it that elasticity. To make this an eggless recipe, use 50gm yogurt additionally instead of the egg but the egg gives it that beautiful golden color. To keep this recipe lactose free use a plant based butter and milk to make it.

Cinnamon filling –

Like any cinnamon roll this recipe needs melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon powder. We mix the ingredients together and use it as required. You absolutely need the brown sugar here so don’t think you can skip it or swap it.

Icing –

I have made a vanilla lemon icing to cut the sweetness of the frosting. This is a glaze in texture for which we need icing sugar primarily, you cannot use any other sugar here. We also need lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Now to get the colors on top you can use colored sugar sprinkles if you have access to them but I didn’t so I colored my icing with purple, green and yellow. I have used food gels but liquids would work too, if you need more icing sugar to thicken up the glaze then add it.

What equipment do you need to make King Cake?

I have made this king cake in a stand mixer with a hook attachment and you can use a large mixing bowl with a spatula and them knead it with your hands. The dough is easier to handle when it is rolled out on silicon or a wax paper, also I use my hands to flatten out the dough and don’t actually roll it out. We need a couple of mixing bowls for the filling and the glaze. To spread the filling I have used an off set spatula. The cake is baked in a tray in the oven, I like to put a small round ramekin in the middle of the bread to ensure it bakes into a circle and not into each other.

How to make King Cake?

In a bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, sugar,, yeast, and salt. Pour in the milk, butter, yogurt, egg and using a dough hook mix it all together on low speed at first and gradually increase it. Allow this to mix for 5-8 mins on medium speed until the dough looks soft and elastic. If you are making this without a mixer, do this step with a large bowl and wooden spoon, use you hands to knead the dough together – this will take around 12-15 mins. Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour or until doubled in volume.

To make the cinnamon filling, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180℃, line the baking tray with wax paper/parchment and set aside. Over another piece of parchment or a silicon mat place the risen dough and using your fingers, spread it out thinly around (1/4th inch) keeping a rectangular shape. Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough and evenly layer it to all the corners. Gently start rolling the dough (longer side away from you) all the way until you have a log. Transfer this parchment to the baking tray, if working on a silicon mat use your hands to transfer the dough swiftly. Form into a crescent to create the round shape. Seal the tow edges together and cover, let it rest for a few minutes. Score the top of the dough with scissors and bake for 25-28 minutes until risen, golden and baked through. Let it cool for 10 minutes. To make the icing we mix the icing sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth – if the icing is vey runny add more sugar if it is too stiff add more lemon juice. We need a ribbon consistency where when we lift the whisk the glaze forms ribbons in the bowl. Divide it into 4 bowls and color them with the green, yellow and purple colors. Glaze the cake with the white and other 3 colors once cooled slightly, let this set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

How to decorate and store King Cake?

Once the cake has cooled down for at least 10 minutes, we add the white icing on top around it, we then add the yellow, green and purple icing. We do not mix the icings together but allow them to be distinct in their colors and overall appearance. Let this set a little before slicing and serving with coffee or tea. You can store this in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days. After which it will begin to get dry. You can also store this in the freezer for upto 10 days, when ready to eat, let it defrost and warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving.

MAKE AHEAD OPTION: you can make, fill and shape the dough, cover it in cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight, take it out the next morning allow it to come to room temperature before proofing for 15 mins and then baking. To make the icing we mix the icing sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth – if the icing is vey runny add more sugar if it is too stiff add more lemon juice. We need a ribbon consistency where when we lift the whisk the glaze forms ribbons in the bowl. Divide it into 4 bowls and color them with the green, yellow and purple colors. Glaze the cake with the white and other 3 colors once cooled slightly, let this set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Looking for more bread recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this King Cake, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

Kings Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Proofing Time 1 30

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Celebration, High Tea, Icing, tea time

Cuisine American

Servings 10 people

Equipment

Stand mixer with hook attachment
Parchment paper
Baking tray
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Off set spatula

Ingredients

Brioche dough -

400 gm flour
40 gm castor sugar
7 gm instant yeast
1 tsp salt
120 ml warm milk
113 gm brown butter
100 gm yogurt
1 egg

Cinnamon filling -

60 gm butter melted
165 gm brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon powder

Icing -

250 gm icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
Green Yellow & Purple Food coloring gel

Instructions

In a bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, sugar,, yeast, and salt. Pour in the milk, butter, yogurt, egg and using a dough hook mix it all together on low speed at first and gradually increase it. Allow this to mix for 5-8 mins on medium speed until the dough looks soft and elastic. If you are making this without a mixer, do this step with a large bowl and wooden spoon, use you hands to knead the dough together - this will take around 12-15 mins.
Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour or until doubled in volume. To make the cinnamon filling, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180℃, line the baking tray with wax paper/parchment and set aside.
Over another piece of parchment or a silicon mat place the risen dough and using your fingers, spread it out thinly around (1/4th inch) keeping a rectangular shape.
Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough and evenly layer it to all the corners. Gently start rolling the dough (longer side away from you) all the way until you have a log. Transfer this parchment to the baking tray, if working on a silicon mat use your hands to transfer the dough swiftly. Form into a crescent to create the round shape. Seal the tow edges together and cover, let it rest for a few minutes.
Score the top of the dough with scissors and bake for 25-28 minutes until risen, golden and baked through. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
To make the icing we mix the icing sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth - if the icing is vey runny add more sugar if it is too stiff add more lemon juice. We need a ribbon consistency where when we lift the whisk the glaze forms ribbons in the bowl. Divide it into 4 bowls and color them with the green, yellow and purple colors.
Glaze the cake with the white and other 3 colors once cooled slightly, let this set for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Allow the dough to proof until doubled in volume, this can take 1 or longer depending on the temperature you live in.
The glaze should set for a few minutes before slicing or else it will get messy. I like serving this on a plate hence I glaze it on the same plate, if you don’t like that you can glaze it on a wire rack and then transfer it to a plate.

3 thoughts on “King Cake”

Jupiter & Maud
January 6, 2024 at 1:12 AM

Wow, what an impressive cake! Thank you for sharing!

Reply
1. annikapanikker
  January 10, 2024 at 9:05 AM
  
  Thank you Jupiter & Maud! it was my first time making it! I loved how it tasted!
  
  Reply
Pingback: Galette Des Rois – French King Cake – Annika Eats

Hi Ninja!