Google tells me that next Tuesday, the 21st, is Mardi Gras. King Cake is the perfect thing to make!

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided into 4 tablespoons & 1 tablespoon
• pinch of salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees)
• 1 egg
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• oil for hands and bowl

Filling:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter

Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons whole milk
• pinch of salt

Colored Sugars:

• 1 cup superfine sugar (not powdered sugar), separated into 1/3 cups
• food coloring – yellow, green, blue & red

To start the dough, heat the butter, the first 4 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted. While that heats, combine the water, yeast, and remaining tablespoon of the sugar in a large bowl. Stir together, then set aside.

When the butter has melted, add the sour cream and return to the heat until it’s lukewarm, about 105 degrees.

Whisk the butter mixture into the yeast mixture, then add the egg and one cup of flour.

Using an oiled wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, adding in small amounts, until you form a soft, tacky dough. This should take about another two cups of flour.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and oil your hands. Knead until elastic, five to ten minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep it from sticking to you or the counter.

Oil a bowl, then form the dough into a ball and roll it in the bowl enough to grease the dough all over. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Towards the end of the rise, make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a smallish bowl and stirring together. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

When the dough has risen, knock it down and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 18X14″ rectangle. The better you can get the corners now, the better the joint bit will be later.

Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1″ border free on all sides. Roll up from one of the wide sides, so it stays longer.

Pinch the seams shut and carefully move to the prepared sheet, placing seam-side down and curling into a ring. Lightly moisten the ends and press them together to seal.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25 minutes or until browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

While the cake cools, prepare the colored sugar, then the glaze. For the sugar, put each 1/3 cup of sugar into a separate cup or bowl. Add several drops of green food coloring to one, yellow to another, and red and blue to a third. Mix in, grinding with the back of a spoon until evenly colored.

Make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, melted butter, and milk until smooth.

Wait until the cake is well cooled, otherwise the icing will melt. If you want, at this time just jam a plastic baby up through the bottom. I couldn’t find one.

Drizzle the icing over the cake evenly.

Before the glaze gets a chance to harden, sprinkle the sugars over it, alternating colors.

So cheery!

This went over really well at the poker party I brought it to, and I totally won at poker, so… it’s also good luck?

I know the filling is the same as a bunch of other cinnamon-swirl things, but it tasted especially good in this!

Happy Mardi Gras! (Is that a thing people say? Sure!)

King Cake

Sliiightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Dough:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided into 4 tablespoons & 1 tablespoon
• pinch of salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees)
• 1 egg
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• oil for hands and bowl

Filling:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter

Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons whole milk
• pinch of salt

Colored Sugars:

• 1 cup superfine sugar (not powdered sugar), separated into 1/3 cups
• food coloring – yellow, green, blue & red

To start the dough, heat the butter, the first 4 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted. While that heats, combine the water, yeast, and remaining tablespoon of the sugar in a large bowl. Stir together, then set aside.

When the butter has melted, add the sour cream and return to the heat until it’s lukewarm, about 105 degrees. Whisk the butter mixture into the yeast mixture, then add the egg and one cup of flour. Using an oiled wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, adding in small amounts, until you form a soft, tacky dough. This should take about another two cups of flour. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and oil your hands. Knead until elastic, five to ten minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep it from sticking to you or the counter.

Oil a bowl, then form the dough into a ball and roll it in the bowl enough to grease the dough all over. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Towards the end of the rise, make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and stirring together. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

When the dough has risen, knock it down and turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 18X14″ rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1″ border free on all sides. Roll up like a jellyroll.

Pinch the seams shut and carefully move to the prepared sheet, placing seam-side down and curling into a ring. Lightly moisten the ends and press them together to seal.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 25 minutes or until browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

While the cake cools, prepare the colored sugar, then the glaze. For the sugar, put each 1/3 cup of sugar into a separate cup or bowl. Add several drops of green food coloring to one, yellow to another, and red and blue to a third. Mix in, grinding with the back of a spoon until evenly colored.

Pop a plastic baby up through the bottom of the cake if desired.

Make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, melted butter, and milk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake evenly.

Before the glaze gets a chance to harden, sprinkle the sugars over it, alternating colors.