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recipe image of flour yeast milk eggs butter sugar cinnamon brown sugar cream cheese powdered sugar vanilla lemon orange zest heavy cream nutmeg pecans sanding sugar purple green gold arranged on a white marble kitchen counter with healthy clear glass bowls and rustic brown wooden kitchen sets under soft diffuse daylight
Benjamin

Classic Mardi Gras King Cake

A traditional Mardi Gras king cake with a rich cream cheese filling and colorful decorations.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough Ingredients
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast fresh
  • 1 cup Whole Milk warmed to 110 degrees
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened, room temperature
  • 2 large Eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tbsp Orange Zest
Filling Ingredients
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
Glaze Ingredients
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
Decorations
  • 1 cup Purple Sanding Sugar
  • 1 cup Green Sanding Sugar
  • 1 cup Gold Sanding Sugar

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper

Method
 

Proof the Yeast
    Mix the Dough
      First Rise
        Prepare the Filling
          Roll and Fill
            The Braid
              Second Rise
                Bake
                  Glaze and Decorate

                    Notes

                    For a no-braid king cake recipe, simply roll the dough into a long cylinder, join the ends, and bake it as a smooth ring. It tastes exactly the same!
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