To celebrate Mardi Gras, create this simple cream cheese king cake. Try this recipe if you are looking for a new king cake recipe. Do not forget to insert the infant!
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 3 hrs 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 4 hrs 15 mins |
| Servings: | 20 |
| Yield: | 2 king cakes |
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
- 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 ¾ cups bread flour, divided
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted, divided
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, or more as needed
- purple, green, and gold/yellow sparkling sugars
Instructions
- Combine sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let mixture cool to 100 to 110 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
- Stir together water, yeast, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand for 5 minutes.
- Combine sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; gradually add 4 more cups of flour, beating until dough comes together.
- Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with 1/4 cup of the flour. Knead, gradually adding remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Dough should be tacky but release easily from surface.
- Place dough in a well greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Beat cream cheese, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg.
- Gently punch dough down; divide in half. Roll 1 portion out into a 22×12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Keep the other portion covered. Spread 1/2 of the filling over rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Carefully roll up, starting from a long edge.
- Place roll, seam-side down, on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form a ring. Moisten ends with water; pinch together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, filling, and pecans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover dough rings.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are a deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire racks, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Stir confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract together to make the glaze. Stir in 3 tablespoons milk. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until pourable but still opaque. Pour evenly over cakes. Sprinkle with sparkling sugars, alternating colors to form bands.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 485 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 63 g |
| Cholesterol | 73 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Sodium | 236 mg |
| Sugars | 31 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
It is time consuming but no more so than other great recipes. My family loved it. I will definitely be making this again.
if you like king cake that is basically bread with cream cheese this the recipe for you. the problem here is the bread flour which makes this “cake” dense. however you need the structure of bread flour to contain the cream cheese filling. it’s not really “cake” imo. even store-bought like rouse’s king cake is better than this.
Great recipe! I’ve never made a King Cake before (growing up in La we always just got them from our favorite, authentic bakery). As a beginner-level baker, I was excited and nervous to try it on my own. The recipe was easy to follow but allow yourself plenty of time. The King Cakes turned out better than I expected. My family loved it and my coworkers were super complimentary. More than one person said they liked it better than any King Cake they had had before. I’ll definitely be making this recipe for next year’s Mardi Gras!
This is the best King’s Cake I’ve made. I did add orange zest and nutmeg to the dough and omitted the nuts.
This was a very easy recipe to make. I got lots of compliments from all the Mardi Gras goers that it rates up there with the cakes made down in Nawleans, as well as those who have never had King Cake before. This is a keeper and I will make it again for future Mardi Gras celebrations!!
Very good and tasty! Great video helped. Thanks !
This cake was fantastic! I made it for an annual Christmas party that features a king cake. Most times guests just order the cake from out of state. I just couldn’t justify the expense. The cake is easy to make provided you have enough time and follow the directions EXACTLY. Everyone at the party said it was the best king cake they had ever tasted!
My daughter graduated from Tulane ( in New Orleans) last May and this is her first birthday home. I wanted to make her a King Cake for her 23rd because she loves them ! I’ve never made a yeast cake before but instructions were great. Loved the video !