What is it?

A brioche or sweet roll dough is braided, baked in a circle, and decorated with icing and purple, green and gold sugars. Kind of like a crown-shaped cinnamon roll all dressed up for a party. The shape of the King Cake, with its distinctive crown design, symbolizes the three wise men or kings who traveled to visit Jesus. The colors of the King Cake (also the traditional colors of Mardi Gras celebrations) are also symbolic, with purple symbolizing justice, green representing faith, and gold signifying power or prosperity.

These are some of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten that’s why I’m choosing to share it with you!

Ingredients:

• ▢ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter , melted
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup milk (room temperature)
• ▢ 2 small packets of active dry yeast
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar , sifted
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

GLAZE

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar , sifted
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk

SUGAR TOPPING

• ▢ 3 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ a few drops of each: purple, green, and yellow food coloring

• In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt and melted butter until well creamed.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition and continue to cream.
• Pour the milk into a small bowl and add the packets of yeast. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until dissolved. Set aside.
• Add in the vanilla, orange zest and lemon zest to the mixing bowl and blend.
• Pour in the the milk and dissolved yeast and blend.
• Add the flour and mix on low until the dough tightens. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball and climbs slightly up the dough hook.
• Remove the dough from the bowl. Coat the dough with 1/2 cup of canola oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set in a warm, draft-free place, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• While the dough is resting, mix your colored sugars. Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in a ziplock bag. Add in 2-3 drops of food coloring. Close the bag and shake and caress the sugar until it is completely colored. Add more food coloring if necessary. Repeat this process with each of the colors, using a separate ziplock bag for each. Set aside to use later
• After the dough has rested, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes.
  Roll the dough out into an oblong piece.
  Brush the dough with canola oil covering the entire piece.
• In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar liberally over the entire piece of dough.
• Once the dough is covered with the cinnamon sugar and oil, fold it in half lengthwise.
• Cut the dough into 3 long strips and lay the strips side-by-side. Press the edges to seal. Now it’s time to braid the dough.
  (Braiding dough is just like braiding hair)
• Grab the center of the right strand and cross it over the middle strand, drop it in the center.