Cajun and Creole Recipes
Buttery King Cake
Yield: 14 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, divided
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 3 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 Plastic doll, 1 inch high
- Dried bean or pecan half
Frosting
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Yellow, green and purple decorating sugars
Instructions
Cake
- Heat 1/2 cup milk until warm (105 to 115 degrees F).
- In a large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Stir in sugar and salt and mix well. Let stand a few minutes, or until bubbly.
- Add 2 cups of the bread flour, the butter, beaten eggs, lemon peel and nutmeg. With an electric mixer, beat on slow speed until all ingredients are moistened. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, adding more bread flour if needed, about 5 minutes.
- Place dough in well-buttered bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) about 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in volume.
- Punch down dough several times to remove air bubbles. Shape into a rope 24 inches long and place on a buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to form a ring.
- Cover dough with a cloth and let is rise in a warm place until it again doubles in volume, about 1 1/4 hours.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon milk; gently brush over the top of the dough.
- Bake for 22 to 27 minutes or until golden and cake sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
- Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.
- When the cake is cool, press the doll, dried bean or nut gently into the bottom of the cake so that it is hidden.
Frosting
- Combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon milk. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth. If icing is too thick, stir in another 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Spoon icing over top of ring, allowing it to run down the sides.
- Sprinkle with colored sugar, creating rows of each color about 1 1/2 inches wide.
- Repeat all around the ring.
Nutrition
Per serving: 350 calories, 9g fat, 61g carbohydrate and 7g protein
Attribution
Recipe photo used with permission from:
American Butter Institute
Photo credit: (c) Can Stock Photo fahrwasser