King Cake
Ingredients
- DOUGH
- 2 eggs yolks
- ½ cup warm water, 90°-105°F
- 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- FILLING
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1 - 7 oz box Odense Almond Paste, grated using large hole side of a box grater
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp flour
- EGG WASH
- 1 egg plus 1 tsp milk
- ICING
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1½ Tbsp warm milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- DECORATIONS
- purple, green, and yellow sanding sugar or sprinkles
- small plastic baby
Our King Cake features a scrumptious filling made with Odense Almond Paste. Don’t forget to hide the baby Jesus! Whoever finds it gets crowned king and hosts next year’s party. It’s a sweet tradition everyone will love!
Time
Prep time: 3 hours
Bake time: 20 minutes
Cool time: 1 hour
Yield
12 servings
Directions
- Place egg yolks, warm water, instant dry yeast, sour cream, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium-low speed until an elastic dough forms, about 10-15 minutes. Add in 3 Tbsp room temperature butter and mix on medium low speed for 5-10 more minutes until butter is incorporated and dough is smooth.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand for 1 minute. Grease a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for one to two hours, until doubled in volume.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Beat the 4 Tbsp butter and almond paste until fluffy and smooth. Mix in the cinnamon and flour until combined. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured work surface. Roll into a 12x20-inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up tightly lengthwise into a log, and pinch to seal the seam closed.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the log on it, join, and pinch the ends together to form a ring.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for an hour until the dough springs back when lightly pressed.
- Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Beat the egg and tsp of milk together with a whisk and brush all over the loaf.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until evenly browned.
- Let the loaf cool entirely before icing, about 1 hour.
- While the loaf cools, prepare the icing. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Smush the plastic baby into the top of the loaf, about halfway down.
- Once cooled, cover the loaf with icing and decorate with desired sprinkles.