How to Make Mardi Gras King Cake

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Make Mardi Gras King Cake

The Mardi Gras king cake is a twisted bread traditionally topped with sugar or icing and colored purple, green and gold. King cakes from around the world are stuffed with a small trinket (usually a baby) and the recipient of the piece of cake with the trinket is responsible for various obligations and blessed with privileges. King cake is simple to make if you follow a few basic steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

3 cups of confectioners sugar
¼ c. of lemon juice
3 to 6 tbsp. water

Cake

Step 1

Combine warm water, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar in a mixing bowl. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for 3 minutes and then stir thoroughly. Place the bowl in a warm place for 10 additional minutes until the mixture doubles in size.
Step 2

Add 3 ½ c. of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt and sift it into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon zest once the dry ingredients are sifted.
Step 3

Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the yeast and milk mixture along with the egg yolks and mix thoroughly until smoothe.
Step 4

Beat in 8 tbsp. of butter (1 tbsp. at a time) and continue to beat for 2 minutes or until you can make the dough into a soft ball.
Step 5

Place the ball of dough on a floured surface and knead it. Continually add the remaining flour one tbsp. at a time until it is all soaked up. Continue to knead the bread for 10 more minutes, or until the dough is shiny and springs back when poked with a finger.
Step 6

Brush the dough ball completely with melted butter and place inside a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place it in a temperate, draft-free area for 1 ½ hours, or until it doubles in size.
Step 7

Place the doubled dough onto a floured surface and punch the air out with your fist. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the dough and twist it while pulling it into a circular shape. Don't forget to pinch the ends together to make a complete circle. Set the dough aside for another 45 minutes or until it has again doubled in size.
Step 8

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, brush the dough with egg wash and bake it for 25 to 35 minutes or until it's a golden brown. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Don't forget to insert the baby into the king cake at this time.

Colored Sugars

Step 1

Squeeze a dot or two of green food color into a plastic bag. Add 2 tbsp. of sugar to the bag, seal it and shake the color and sugar together until the sugar is saturated.
Step 2

Empty the sugar into a bowl to dry.
Step 3

Repeat the process for each color until all the king cake sugar is colored.

Icing and Serving

Step 1

Whisk sugar, lemon juice and 3 tbsp. of water to make a smooth icing. If the icing is too stiff, add a bit more water until it is spreadable.
Step 2

Spread the icing evenly over the top of the king cake. Immediately sprinkle the individually colored sugars over the top of the king cake in individual rows.
Step 3

Serve king cake in 2 to 3 in. pieces.