King Cake

Have you tried King Cake? The first time I had it was in Cincinnati at a Fat Tuesday food day in my office (picture the largest conference room, full of food). It was from a bakery called, Servatii and I loved it! The first time I made King Cake was in 2013 with Hannah and Carrie. I’m not even sure why I did or what sparked my interest. I looked up a recipe and we started baking! Here are my babies doing their best King Cake work!

The ring shaped confection is similar to coffee cake and topped with icing and sugars in the royal colors of purple (justice), green (faith), and gold (power/wealth), to honor the three kings who visited the Christ child on Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas. There is a plastic baby hidden inside that finds its way to someone’s plate. In our house, we let that person make a wish! The normal tradition is that whoever gets the baby must host the next party.

Every year just before Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, the day of feasting before the Christian fast known as Lent, people in the Midwest get pretty excited. Bakeries start offering special menu items such as: packzi (“POONCH-key”), filled doughnuts and King Cake. Below is a sampling of NE Ohio bakeries I found that offer packzi and/or King Cakes if you don’t want to make your own. Check them out and support local whenever you can! If you live elsewhere, find a local bakery that celebrates Fat Tuesday in a big way. You won’t regret it!
Becker’s
Breads and Beyond Bakery
Brewnuts
Jack Frost Donuts
Kiedrowski’s Bakery
Michael Angelo’s
Sweet Mary’s Bakery

King Cake is easy to make and this recipe delivers a soft, chewy dough, swirled with a cinnamon sugar filling. The glaze is a little tart from the addition of lemon and the combination of everything make it a nice little treat!

Start with sour cream, butter, sugar, salt, water, yeast, bread flour, eggs, and cinnamon.

Cook the sour cream, butter and sugar in a medium size pan and let it cool slightly. Combine water, sugar and yeast and let it sit until it bubbles. Place eggs in a mixer bowl, add sour cream mixture and yeast.

Add 2 cups at a time of the bread flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead gently and place in a bowl to rise (about an hour).

Divide dough in half and roll one piece into a 22″ x 12″ rectangle, smear with softened butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over. Don’t forget to write your note!

Roll it up, form into an oval/circular shape and pinch the ends together to seal.

Now do the same thing with the other piece of dough. Cover both cakes and let them rise again for about 30 minutes. Then bake at 375°F for 14-20 minutes.

Let the cakes cool slightly while you make the glaze. Powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, milk and lemon juice. Whisk it all together. Line up those pretty sugars and you’re good to go.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake and top with the sugars. I don’t love how the cake looks in the first picture but once it’s glazed, I adore it! So does Daisy Mae!

I made both cakes, decorated one and let Carrie decorate the other. It was a nice break from homework! Daisy was there to supervise!

The baby! I alway push it in through the bottom once the cake is finished. They look kind of creepy. Perhaps there are cuter ones but I bought a big pack of these several years ago and I just keep using the same ones. Tiny, creepy-ish photo.

We invited our neighbors over to catch up and eat King Cake. This cake isn’t fancy or heavy but it is delicious. It has a nice texture and flavor. Works well with coffee, tea and wine. I kept going back to get another little slice throughout the evening. It’s fun to make and something just a little different to get us through these gloomy winter days. I hope you’ll try it!

From the heart,
Shannon

King Cake
Cake
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 TBSP sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour* (I use King Arthur)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100° to 110°.
   Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (4 to 4 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
   Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.
4. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter evenly on each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Write a little note in the butter! Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter on each rectangle.
5. Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with second dough roll. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
7. Bake at 375° for 14 to 20 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes). Drizzle Creamy Glaze over warm cakes; sprinkle with colored (purple, green, gold) sugars, alternating colors and forming bands. Let cool completely.

Creamy Glaze
Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar
3 TBSP butter, melted
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 4 TBSP milk
Instructions
Whisk together first 4 ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons milk, adding additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreading consistency.

*6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour may be substituted.
Note:This recipe uses bread flour, which makes for a light, airy cake. You still get tasty results with all-purpose flour–the cake will just be more dense.