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Easy New Orleans Style King Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Close-up of a slice of king cake showing cream cheese filling, cinnamon swirl, and purple, green, and gold icing.
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Make an authentic, festive New Orleans King Cake at home. This recipe uses simple steps to create a soft, brioche-style sweet yeast bread, offering an optional rich cream cheese swirl filling and topped with traditional purple, green, and gold icing and sprinkles.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (for optional filling)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (for icing)
  • 1/4 cup milk or cream (for icing)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
  • Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars or sprinkles (for decoration)
  • 1 small plastic baby (for tradition)

Instructions

  1. Activate the yeast: In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Mix the dough: Add the remaining granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, and 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix until combined. Gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
  3. Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
  4. Prepare the filling: While the dough rises, prepare the cinnamon filling by beating together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until creamy. If using cream cheese filling, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
  5. Shape the cake: Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12×18 inches.
  6. Add filling: Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. If using cream cheese, dollop the cream cheese over the cinnamon mixture and gently spread it.
  7. Roll and form: Starting from the long side opposite the border, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam closed. Gently bring the ends together to form an oval or ring shape, pinching the ends securely to seal. Place the ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  8. Second rise: Cover the shaped cake loosely and let it rise again in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes.
  9. Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the King Cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.
  10. Cool and decorate: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Prepare the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake. Immediately decorate with the purple, green, and gold sanding sugars. Insert the plastic baby before serving.

Notes

  • For the traditional colors, purple symbolizes justice, green symbolizes faith, and gold symbolizes power.
  • If you skip the filling, brush the dough with melted butter before sprinkling with cinnamon sugar before rolling for a simpler sweet bread.
  • You can make the dough ahead of time and let it cold-proof in the refrigerator overnight for deeper flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://frostedfancies.com/easy-new-orleans-king-cake-recipe/