New Orleans King Cake

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• •Rolling pin
• •Large rimmed baking sheet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Serrated knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the yeast

   Combine warm milk (110°F feels warm but not hot against your wrist) with one tablespoon of the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface. Do not stir. Let stand for 10 minutes until the mixture foams and smells pleasantly yeasty. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead. Start again with a fresh packet.

   Water temperature matters enormously. Too hot kills the yeast. Too cold leaves it dormant. Use an instant-read thermometer until you learn to judge by feel.
2. 2

   Build the dough

   In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Give it a brief stir with a fork. Add the bloomed yeast mixture, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides. Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and will slap against the bowl. This is correct.

3. 3

   Incorporate the butter

   With the mixer running on medium-low, add the softened butter one piece at a time, waiting for each piece to disappear before adding the next. This takes patience. After all butter is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and knead for another 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will transform from sticky and broken-looking to smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the bowl sides and slap the bottom rhythmically. When you stretch a small piece, it should form a translucent window without tearing.

   The windowpane test is your friend with enriched doughs. Pinch off a golf ball-sized piece and stretch it gently between your fingers. Properly developed gluten will stretch thin enough to see light through without breaking.
4. 4

   First rise

   Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot (75-80°F) until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when you press it with a floured finger and the indentation remains. Enriched doughs rise more slowly than lean ones because fat inhibits yeast activity. This is normal. Do not rush it.

5. 5

   Prepare the filling

   While the dough rises, combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork, breaking up any brown sugar clumps. Set aside alongside the melted butter for the filling. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. 6

   Roll the dough

   Punch down the risen dough to release trapped gases. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll into a large rectangle approximately 22 inches long and 14 inches wide. The dough will resist at first. Let it rest for 5 minutes when it springs back stubbornly, then continue rolling. Work patiently. Keep the surface and your pin dusted with flour to prevent sticking.

7. 7

   Fill and roll

   Brush the entire surface of the dough rectangle with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border along one long edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the buttered area, pressing it gently to adhere. Starting from the long edge opposite the bare border, roll the dough into a tight log. Keep tension even as you roll. When you reach the end, pinch the seam firmly to seal. Roll the log gently to smooth it and extend it to about 26 inches.

8. 8

   Shape the ring

   Transfer the filled log to the prepared baking sheet, curving it into an oval ring shape. Tuck one end inside the other and pinch firmly to seal, moistening with a drop of water if needed. The ring should be roughly 14 inches long and 10 inches wide. This oval shape is traditional to New Orleans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

   Some bakers shape a perfect circle. Others prefer the elongated oval. Both are correct. What matters is that the seam holds through baking.
9. 9

   Second rise

   Let the shaped ring rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size. The dough should look pillowy and spring back slowly when poked. During the last 15 minutes of rising, position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).

10. 10

    Bake the cake

    Remove the plastic wrap. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 190°F. The cinnamon filling may bubble through in places. This is not a flaw. It adds character. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before glazing. This takes at least 45 minutes. Patience.

11. 11

    Make the glaze

    Whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable, like heavy cream. Add more milk by the teaspoon if too thick. It should coat a spoon and drip slowly back into the bowl. If it runs like water, add more powdered sugar.

12. 12

    Hide the baby

    Before glazing, turn the cooled cake bottom-side up briefly. Using a sharp knife, cut a small slit in the bottom of the cake. Tuck the plastic baby inside, pushing it into the soft crumb. Turn the cake right-side up. Some bakers insert the baby before baking, but modern plastic trinkets can melt at oven temperatures. The slit method is safer and equally traditional.

    Warn your guests about the baby. A surprise trinket in a bite of cake is festive. A surprise trip to the dentist is not.
13. 13

    Glaze and decorate

    Set the cake on a serving platter or board with parchment beneath to catch drips. Pour the glaze over the top of the ring, letting it drip naturally down the sides. Work quickly now. Before the glaze sets, sprinkle the colored sugars in alternating bands: purple, gold, green, repeating around the entire ring. Press the sugars gently to help them adhere. The traditional pattern honors Mardi Gras symbolism, but the practical effect is simply beautiful.

14. 14

    Serve with ceremony

    Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 2-inch portions using a serrated knife. Announce the rules before serving: whoever finds the baby hosts next year's party or brings the next King Cake to work. This tradition transforms a coffee cake into an event. King Cake is best the day it's made but remains good for two to three days stored covered at room temperature.

Chef Tips

• •Room temperature ingredients matter enormously in enriched doughs. Cold eggs and butter create streaks of unincorporated fat. Set everything out an hour before you begin.
• •Colored sanding sugars are sold in craft stores and baking supply shops year-round. Do not substitute sprinkles. The large crystals catch light and create the traditional King Cake appearance.
• •For a cream cheese filling variation popular since the 1980s, spread 8 ounces of softened cream cheese mixed with half a cup of powdered sugar over the dough before adding the cinnamon sugar. This creates a richer, more decadent cake that some bakeries now treat as traditional.
• •King Cake freezes beautifully before glazing. Wrap the cooled, unglazed cake tightly in plastic, then foil. Thaw overnight at room temperature and glaze the next morning.
• •If you cannot find a plastic baby trinket, a dried bean works as the original French tradition intended. The person who finds it was called le roi or la reine and wore a paper crown. The plastic baby emerged in New Orleans in the 1950s.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made through the first rise, then refrigerated overnight. The cold fermentation develops flavor. Let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before rolling.
• •The filled and shaped ring can be refrigerated overnight before its second rise. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before baking.
• •Baked and glazed King Cake keeps at room temperature, loosely covered, for 2 to 3 days. Do not refrigerate, as cold temperatures stale the bread faster.
• •Unglazed cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before glazing and decorating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)