King Cake

King Cake is a beloved dessert that originated in New Orleans and reaches peak popularity during Mardi Gras season. Blending the best of a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll, it features soft, homemade dough braided and filled with a rich swirl of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon. Perfect as a handheld indulgence, King Cake can be enjoyed any time of day, whether alongside your morning coffee or as a festive sweet treat.

Easy Homemade King Cake Recipe

King Cake traces its roots to the biblical story of the Three Kings who visited the Baby Jesus and is a cherished tradition in New Orleans during Carnival season. Enjoyed between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, it blends the flavors of coffee cake and cinnamon rolls and is decorated in purple, gold, and green.

A small baby figurine is traditionally hidden inside the cake, whoever finds it in their slice of king cake is said to receive good luck, prosperity and is tasked with bringing the King Cake to the next celebration. Skip the bakery, create your own Fat Tuesday celebration and let the good times roll.

Key ingredients to make New Orleans King Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the cake dough.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar and light brown sugar for sweetness.
• Yeast – Rapid rise yeast gives lift to the dough.
• Liquid – Warm whole milk for moisture.
• Melted Butter – Salted butter or unsalted butter for richness,
• Spices – Salt, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Lemon Zest – Adds hints of bright citrus flavor.
• Eggs – Large egg yolks plus one whole egg for the egg wash.
• Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract for creamy floral notes.
• Glaze – Powdered sugar plus heavy cream and purple, gold and green sanding sugars.

How to Make the Best King Cake Recipe

• Bloom Yeast – Pour the warm milk into the large bowl of a stand mixer with granulated sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of flour, mixing on low until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved. Let stand for 8-10 minutes until the top is bubbly and foamy.
• Sift Dry Ingredients – Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
• Butter and Eggs – Beat in butter, egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest into the yeast mixture. Switch to the dough hook. Gradually add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
• Knead the Dough – Knead until smooth and elastic.
• Let Dough Rise – Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling – Stir together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix butter with cinnamon mixture until fully combined.
• Form the Cake –  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into rectangle. Spread the filling on one half of the long side of the dough leaving a 1 inch border. Fold the dough in half covering the filling. Press dough down firmly so the dough will stick together.
• Braid the Dough – Cut dough lengthwise into three long 20-inch strips. Press the tops of the strips together and braid. Form into a circle and press the edges together.
• Transfer to a Sheet Pan – Transfer the ring to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled.
• Brush with Egg Wash – Brush dough with egg wash.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until the braid is golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool.
• Make Icing – Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and almond extract, drizzle over top of king cake.
• Decorate – Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars while the icing is still wet. Tuck the plastic baby into the underside of the cake. Slice and enjoy.

Kitchen Equipment to Make New Orleans King Cake

• A stand mixer or a hand mixer with a dough hook attachment and a paddle attachment.
• Large mixing bowl, medium bowl and small bowl.
• Balloon whisk.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Two baking sheet pans and parchment paper.
• Citrus zester.
• Knife and offset icing spatula.
• Pastry brush.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Make Two – This recipe can be divided in half to make two smaller King Cakes.
• Adjust the Glaze – You can increase the thickness and flavor of the sweet glaze to suit your taste. It can easily be doubled for extra.
• Citrus Zest – You can swap out orange zest for lemon zest in the batter for another citrus twist or omit the lemon zest altogether. Since this is my recipe, I love the bright flavor it gives to the batter.
• Classic Filling – King Cakes come with a variety of fillings depending on the baker’s preference. This recipe reflects the most commonly found brown sugar, cinnamon and butter mixture.  You could adapt with a fruit filling, cream cheese filling or praline filling.
• Nuts – You could add 1/2 cup of toasted and finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling for extra texture and crunch, if desired. Should you choose to do so, once you spread the filling over the dough, just sprinkle the nuts on top.
• Add the Baby After Baking – I highly recommend adding the king baby to the underside of the cake after baking, not before.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store baked King Cake in an airtight container either chilled in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 4 days. It will last longer when chilled.
• Reheating – You can gently reheat slices in single servings in the microwave or enjoy it at room temperature.

More New Orleans Inspired Recipes to Make

• Cajun Orzo with Andouille Sausage is a one skillet meal.
• Crawfish Etouffee is a classic served with a scoop of rice.
• Scrumptious Cajun Dirty Rice is a side you can serve with chicken, steak or pork.
• Shrimp Po’boy filled with crispy fried shrimp.
• Cajun Collard Greens are seasoned with bacon.
• Start the day with these kicked up Creole Sausage Balls.
• Cajun Chicken Pasta features a creamy sauce filled with andouille sausage.
• You may also like this Crawfish Boil from Food Network.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheets
• Measuring Set
• Mixer