King Cake Recipe

How to make it

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• Cake

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• Combine 3/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
• Heat milk, water, and 6 tbsp butter until very warm - about 120-130F.
• Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add egg and 1/4 cup flour. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
• Stir in remaining flour (1 1/4 cup) to make a stiff batter.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Melt 2 tbsp butter. In a separate small bowl, combine remaining (3/8 cup) sugar with cinnamon and mix to incorporate.
• Punch dough down. Move to a lightly floured work surface.
• Divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each to about 12 in x 4 in.
• Brush each with melted butter. Then, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Beginning at the long end, roll each up tightly - as if for a jellyroll. Pinch seams to form long ropes.
• Braid. Then form into an oval - mine turned more into a (tighter) crown. Pinch ends together to seal.
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover (I used a kitchen towel) and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size- about an hour+.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden.
• Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack (I kept the parchment paper beneath, to catch glaze later). Cool completely.

• Glaze

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• Combine sugar and milk in a bowl, starting with 1 tbsp milk and adding more if needed to reach desired consistency. Whisk until smooth.

• Colored Sugar

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• The amount of food coloring you use depends on how dark/bold you want your colors. I'll provide a range.
• In a small bowl, mix 4-8 drops blue coloring with 8-16 red coloring. Add to one of the bags of sugar. Seal, and mix around with your hand to distribute the color.
• Add 4-8 drops green food coloring into another bag of sugar. Seal, and mix around with your hand to distribute the color.
• Add 4-8 drops of yellow food coloring into remaining bag of sugar. Seal, and mix around with your hand to distribute the color.
• Pour glaze over cake. Sprinkle colored sugar over top.