Mardi Gras King Cake (Printable)

Soft brioche dough swirled with cinnamon filling, topped with bright icing and sugars for festive occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 105°F
02 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - 3¾ cups all-purpose flour

→ Cinnamon Filling

09 - ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
12 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Icing

13 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
17 - Plastic baby figurine (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine warm milk and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the mixture and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture with granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Gradually incorporate flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a dough hook until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
05 - While dough rises, whisk together brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, and softened butter until a smooth, spreadable paste forms.
06 - Punch down risen dough and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle. Spread cinnamon filling evenly over surface, leaving a ½-inch border around edges.
07 - Starting from a long side, roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam to seal, then shape into an oval ring by connecting ends and pinching firmly to secure.
08 - Transfer cake to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise until puffy and expanded, about 45 minutes.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk if necessary.
11 - Drizzle icing evenly over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in alternating diagonal stripes while icing remains wet.
12 - If using, push plastic baby figurine into the underside of the cooled cake before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The brioche dough is impossibly tender, like something from a French bakery but with way less intimidation factor
  • That cinnamon sugar spiral creates these gorgeous ribbons that make every slice feel like a celebration
  • You get to play with colored sugar like a kid, but the result is genuinely impressive
02 -
  • The dough will feel sticky when youre working with it, but resist adding too much extra flour or the texture will become tough
  • Let the cake cool completely before icing, or the glaze will melt right off and youll lose those pretty stripes
03 -
  • Position your oven rack in the center position so the cake browns evenly without the bottom getting too dark
  • If the baby feels too tricky to hide, serve it on the side and let whoever finds it in their slice have the honor of making the next cake

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