The King of All Cakes
Author: Sarah Pierce Swift
It’s a new year, and you know what that means, Mardi Gras is right around the corner. Regardless of what anyone says about the beads or the parades, we all know that the true best part of Mardi Gras is: King Cake. There are probably hundreds of different ways to make King Cake, but this recipe is the best of the best.
Before we get to cooking, a quick history lesson is important. The cake itself is shaped like a crown which symbolizes the three kings, or wise men, who came to see baby Jesus. The colors that the cake so beautifully sports also symbolize something. Green for faith, purple for justice, and yellow, or gold, for prosperity. Oh and you know that little plastic baby that you almost choke on every year, that symbolizes something too! If you happen to get the piece of cake with the baby in it, it symbolizes prosperity and luck, no matter how unlucky you feel when you bite into it. Now that you know your stuff, let’s get to it.
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry:
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter
⅔ cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
½ cup white sugar, divided
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
⅔ cup chopped pecans
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted butter
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 plastic baby doll
Baby:
One plastic baby: duh
HOW TO MAKE IT:
First, make the pastry. Scald milk over medium heat.Then remove the milk from heat and stir in butter. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Then stir together warm water, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add cooled milk mixture to yeast mixture and whisk in eggs. Stir in remaining white sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Beat flour, 1 cup at a time, into milk/egg mixture. Once dough comes together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap; let it rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, it should take about 2 hours. When risen, divide dough in half. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. Next, make the filling. Combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, raisins, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour melted butter on top and mix until crumbly. Roll each piece of dough into a 10x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough and roll it up tightly like a jelly roll. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval-shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors, make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1-inch intervals. Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, this takes about 45 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 30 minutes at most. Check often to see if it is done so the cake doesn't overbake. Lastly, make the glaze. Stir together confectioners' sugar and water in a bowl until the mixture is smooth. Push the doll into the bottom of one warm cake. Drizzle glaze over both warm cakes. Then just dig in.
Recipe from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8144/mardi-gras-king-cake/