King Cake Traditional New Orleans Recipe

Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1/2 cup water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 1/2-4 1/2 cups flour, unsifted
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon, zest of
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2-1 cup butter, cut into slices and softened
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 egg, slightly beaten with the milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• green food coloring paste
• purple food coloring paste
• yellow food coloring paste
• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 -6 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it.
• 2 allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly.
• 3 set bowl in a warm place, for ten minutes or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles up in volume.
• 4 combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl.
• 5 stir in lemon zest.
• 6 separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk.
• 7 add egg yolks and using a wooden spoon slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture.
• 8 when mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat 2 minutes or until dough can be formed into a medium soft ball.
• 9 place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread.
• 10 during this kneading, add up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) sprinkled over the dough.
• 11 when dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic.
• 12 using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter.
• 13 place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered.
• 14 cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft free spot for about 1-½ hours, or until the dough doubles in volume.
• 15 using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside.
• 16 remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface.
• 17 using you fist, punch dough down with a heavy blow.
• 18 sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder.
• 19 twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet.
• 20 pinch the ends together to complete the circle.
• 21 cover dough with towel and set it in draft free spot for 45 minutes until the circle of dough doubles in volume.
• 22 pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• 23 brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
• 24 place cake on wire rack to cool.
• 25 if desired, at this time, you can"hide" the plastic baby in the cake.
• 26 colored sugars------------------.
• 27 squeeze a dot of green paste in palm of hand.
• 28 sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the paste and rub together quickly.
• 29 place this mixture on wax paper and wash hands to remove color.
• 30 repeat process for other two colors.
• 31 place aside.
• 32 icing------------------.
• 33 combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.
• 34 if icing is too stiff, add more water until spreadable.
• 35 spread icing over top of cake.
• 36 immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in individual rows consisting of about two rows of green, purple and yellow.
• 37 cake is served in 2"- 3" pieces.