Mardi Gras King Cake

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1 stick butter

1 tsp butter

2/3 c fat free evaporated milk

1/2c granulated sugar

2 tsp salt

2 pkg active dry yeast

1/3c water

4 eggs

1 tsp grated fresh lemon rind

2 tsp grated orange rind

6 c flour

1/2c packed dark brown sugar

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, melted

1 rgg, beaten

1 c colored sugar (1/3 each of purple, yellow, and green)

2 small plastic babies

For Cake: Melt 1 stick butter, milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Using a large mixing bowl, combine 2 T sugar, yeast and water. Let stand until foaming, about 5-10 minutes. Beat 4 eggs into the yeast mixture. Add the milk mixture and the lemon and orange rinds. Stir in the flour, about a 1/2 cup at a time. (Save out a cup of flour for putting down on the surface you're going to knead your dough on.) Knead dough until smooth; 5 to 10 minutes. Place in big, mixing bowl that's been greased with 1 T butter. Turn dough to grease the top then cover and let rise until doubled.

For the filling: Mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon. For the topping: Using food coloring, tint 1 cup sugar Mardi Gras colors (1/3 cup each of yellow, purple and green. You can make purple using equal amounts of red and blue food coloring.) You'll be sprinkling this on later. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide in half. Roll half into a 30x15" rectangle. Brush with half of melted stick of butter. Cut into 3 long strips. Sprinkle half of the filling on the strips, leaving the last 1" strip (plain) for sealing. Fold each strip lengthwise toward the center; seal. Braid the strips into a closed circle. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place each cake on a large baking sheet and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled. Brush each cake with beaten egg. Sprinkle tops with colored sugars in a creative, criss-cross fashion. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from pan while still hot. Place a plastic baby in each cake from below. Wrap cakes tightly in plastic. Can be frozen.

Recipe featured in Bread Daily on 02/08/02.


	\| home \| back to Recipes \| Mardi Gras King Cake 1 stick butter 1 tsp butter 2/3 c fat free evaporated milk 1/2c granulated sugar 2 tsp salt 2 pkg active dry yeast 1/3c water 4 eggs 1 tsp grated fresh lemon rind 2 tsp grated orange rind 6 c flour 1/2c packed dark brown sugar 3/4 c granulated sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 stick butter, melted 1 rgg, beaten 1 c colored sugar (1/3 each of purple, yellow, and green) 2 small plastic babies For Cake: Melt 1 stick butter, milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Using a large mixing bowl, combine 2 T sugar, yeast and water. Let stand until foaming, about 5-10 minutes. Beat 4 eggs into the yeast mixture. Add the milk mixture and the lemon and orange rinds. Stir in the flour, about a 1/2 cup at a time. (Save out a cup of flour for putting down on the surface you're going to knead your dough on.) Knead dough until smooth; 5 to 10 minutes. Place in big, mixing bowl that's been greased with 1 T butter. Turn dough to grease the top then cover and let rise until doubled. For the filling: Mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon. For the topping: Using food coloring, tint 1 cup sugar Mardi Gras colors (1/3 cup each of yellow, purple and green. You can make purple using equal amounts of red and blue food coloring.) You'll be sprinkling this on later. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide in half. Roll half into a 30x15" rectangle. Brush with half of melted stick of butter. Cut into 3 long strips. Sprinkle half of the filling on the strips, leaving the last 1" strip (plain) for sealing. Fold each strip lengthwise toward the center; seal. Braid the strips into a closed circle. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place each cake on a large baking sheet and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled. Brush each cake with beaten egg. Sprinkle tops with colored sugars in a creative, criss-cross fashion. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from pan while still hot. Place a plastic baby in each cake from below. Wrap cakes tightly in plastic. Can be frozen. Recipe featured in Bread Daily on 02/08/02.