Learn how to make this traditional Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe perfect for a celebration. This easy king cake is delicious and decorated with festive colors and more.
If you like to celebrate Mardi Gras, then this King Cake Mardi Gras Recipe is just what you need. This cake recipe is baked easily with simple ingredients with all the fun green and purple colors.
Learn how to make this Mardi Gras cake from scratch. It has a similar texture and taste as a Cinnamon Rolls. A King Cake can be enjoyed during carnival season from January 6th (twelfth night) up to Fat Tuesday.
But since we like celebrating, we make this delicious cake throughout the year and just change the colors. Even if you do not live in New Orleans, make this delicious cake and celebrate! No need to go to the bakery when you can easily make this at home.
Table of contents
What is King Cake?
This cake is a seasonal treat that is local to New Orleans and involves a decadent pastry cake decorated with lots of colorful icing, sprinkles, and more. The cake is a cross between a coffee cake and a pastry with yummy icing drizzled all over the top.
Typically, people serve this cake on Kings Day, and it is a big tradition for many. This cake does not have a center and hidden in the cake is a baby.
The icing represents justice green for faith and gold for power. The cake is named for the wise men who brought gifts for baby Jesus on the twelfth night.
The cake is served on King’s Day and leads up to the eve of Mardi Gras. Traditional king cakes often have a cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
- Active Dry Yeast. Make sure it is fresh and still in date.
- Warm Water. The water should be warm and not boiling.
- Granulated Sugar. Regular, white granulated sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup. This will measure it accurately.
- Milk. I prefer to use whole milk.
- Large Eggs. Room temperature.
- Butter. Unsalted butter.
Filling
- Brown Sugar. Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe
- Ground Cinnamon. Adjust to taste if you like more cinnamon.
- Pecans. You can omit the nuts if you don’t eat pecans.
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar. Sift to remove lumps so it’s smooth.
- Clear Vanilla. You can use regular vanilla, but the glaze will not be pure white.
Decoration
- Mini Plastic Baby. Wash before placing in cake.
- Colored Sugar. I used traditional colors of purple, yellow and green.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How to Make a King Cake
- Step 1 – Heat Water – First, heat your water so you can add the yeast and sugar. Stir the yeast until it is coated. This will need to sit to proof for several minutes or until bubbly.
- Step 2 – Add ingredients – Second, add the sugar, butter, milk, eggs, salt and part of the flour. Beat the mixture until smooth.
- Step 3 – Mix the dough together – I like to use the bowl of a stand mixer so I can use my mixer to make sure the dough is combined together well. Plus, it makes it even easier to use a dough hook.
Step 4. Add in the remaining flour gradually until the dough forms a ball. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.
Step 5. Sprinkle some flour on your counter and put the dough on it. Knead the dough until it is smooth.
Step 6. Make a ball with the flour and put it in a greased bowl. I like to turn the dough over to make sure all sides are well coated.
Step 7. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise.
Step 8. Lastly, roll the soft dough into a large rectangle with a rolling pin.
Step 9. Next, make the filling. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Melt the butter in a saucepan using medium heat or microwave. Then add to this cinnamon sugar mixture and combine. Then sprinkle the filling all over the dough.
Step 10. Roll the dough starting at the long side just like you would if making a jelly roll cake. Seal the cake by pinching the seams together.
Step 11. Move to a baking sheet. Then form the circle seam side down. Cover and let rise again. This should double in size once again. Once this has finished rising, bake in preheated oven until golden brown. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
How to Make Glaze
- Step 1 – Mix Glaze Ingredients together – Mix together all ingredients until it is smooth and you have the right consistency.
- Step 2 – Top the cake with glaze – Second, drizzle the glaze by the spoonful over the cooled cake. Add the colored sugar to make it festive.
FAQs
There are many different flavors of a King Cake, but a traditional flavor is cinnamon flavored. Covered in fun and festive colors of green and purple and a white glaze.
This King Cake is best served the day it is made. But you can store leftovers on the counter for 1 to 2 days. You can also store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tradition suggest that whoever gets the slice of cake with the baby will encounter good favor and be crowned Mardi Gras King or Queen at the parties leading up to Mardi Gras.
Also, the person who gets the baby is responsible for making the cake for the next year and hosting the party the following year.
Recipe Tips
- Make Ahead – You can prepare the dough ahead and place it in the fridge. Then when ready to bake allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
- Baking Sheet – Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray before baking.
- Cooking Time – Cooking time will vary. It could take up to 30 minutes for the cake to get golden brown.
More Easy Cake Recipes
I’m so excited for you to try this Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe. Please leave a comment once you try it.
Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet .25 ounce active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water 110-115 degrees F
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 ½-4 cups all-purpose flour divided
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk warm 110-115 degrees F
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk depending on consistency
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla
- Decoration:
- mini plastic baby
- Colored sugar – purple yellow and green
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup water to 100-110 degrees F
- Add yeast and sugar
- Stir gently just to coat yeast
- Let set to proof for 5-10 minutes or until bubbly
- Add ¼ cup sugar, butter, milk, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour
- Beat until smooth
- Gradually add more flour until dough forms soft ball, it will be sticky
- Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic
- Form into ball and place in greased bowl, turn dough over to coat other side
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise 45-60 minutes until dough has doubled in size
- Punch dough down and turn onto lightly floured surface
- Roll into rectangle 10×20 inches
- Filling:
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans
- Melt butter and add to mixture
- Stir until well combined
- Sprinkle evenly over dough leaving ½ inch around the edges
- Prepare baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper
- Roll dough beginning on the long side, jelly-roll style, pinch seam to seal
- Place on baking sheet and form a circle, pinching the edges together tightly
- Cover the dough ring with plastic wrap and let rise 45-60 minutes for a 2nd time or until the ring has almost double in size
- About 20 minutes before rise is done, preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Bake 25-35 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool on a wire rack
- Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth and desired consistency
- Spoon glaze onto cooled cake and add colored sugar for decoration
- Don’t forget to add the baby inside
