{recipe: mardi gras king cake}

{who will get the baby?}

Yesterday was Mardi Gras (which translates to Fat Tuesday), a notorious party holiday, despite its religious origins. It has evolved over the years from a one day celebration to a week-long extravaganza in several places all over the world. There are many traditions following this holiday (although most of us think of beads and booze), and I will be sharing one with you today---king cake!

King cake commemorates the three kings who brought gifts to the little baby Jesus at his birth. Baked inside the king cake (at least here in the states) is a tiny (plastic) baby. Whoever finds the baby is declared King or Queen of the party and is responsible for making the King Cake or throwing the party next year. With great power comes great responsibility---haha. It is composed of rolled cinnamon pastry and topped with a vanilla glaze and sugars dyed in the colors of Mardi Gras (purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power). While you can find a king cake almost anywhere during this time of year, I thought it was pretty easy to make one myself. Below I’ll share a great recipe I found at Allrecipes.com.

{mmm sour cream, butter, and sugar!}

{yeast baby!}

{justice, faith, power}

{gotta love that dough hook}

{cinnamon sugar…yum}

{look at that yeast action}

{butter and sugar…how can you go wrong?}

{we can’t forget the little baby}

{roll it like a jelly roll}

{ding! almost done!}

{look at all that sugary goodness}

Mardi Gras King Cake:

Servings: 15 – 20 (makes two cakes)

Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

·         1/4 cup butter or margarine

·         1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast

·         1 tablespoon white sugar

·         1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

·         2 eggs

·         6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

·         1/2 cup white sugar (I used brown sugar instead)

·         1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

·         Colored Frostings (see below)

·         Colored Sugars (see below)

       

        Colored Frosting:

·         3 cups powdered sugar

·         3 tablespoons butter, melted

·         3 tablespoons milk

·         1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 drops green food color

·         2 drops yellow food coloring

·         2 drops blue food coloring

·         2 drops red food color

Colored sugars:

·         1 1/2 cups white sugar

·         2 drops green food color

·         2 drops yellow food coloring

·         2 drops red food color

·         2 drops blue food coloring

How To:

Step 1: Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100 degrees to 110 degrees.

Step 2: Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Step 3: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (you can also use the dough hook in your Kitchenaid for this). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Step 4: Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Step 5: Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side.  

Step 6: Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter.

Step 7: Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Step 8: Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of Colored Frostings, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.

COLORED FROSTINGS: Stir together powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla. Divide frosting into 3 batches, tinting 1 green, 1 yellow, and combining red and blue food coloring for purple frosting.

COLORED SUGARS: Place 1/2 cup sugar and drop of green food coloring in a jar or zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar. Repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow food coloring. For purple, combine 1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring before adding to remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mardi Gras week!

Bye for now,

Le Mrs.