King Cake from Recipes from the American South

"In New Orleans, everyone lives for this Mardi Gras cake, which has undergone a revival in popularity thanks to home bakers. Cultural groups in New Orleans favor different forms of king cake, but this recipe is the version that anyone in Louisiana will recognize as traditional. King cake includes a fève or charm, tucked into the finished cake after baking. Whichever lucky guest finds the charm becomes King or Queen for that event, and is expected to bring a king cake to the next Mardi Gras season gathering."

- Michael W. Twitty

King Cake, a New Orleans favorite, incudes a fève or charm, often shaped like Baby Jesus, tucked into the underside of the cake. You can also use a coin, or like this special cake, an almond or pecan half.

Set up a decoration station for maximum fun! This Mardi Gras king cake is sweet, colorful, and sticky. Dessert becomes a game for kids and adults when you're on the hunt for something special.

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Recipes from the American South

This king cake recipe comes from Recipes from the American South by Michael W. Twitty. Inside, Michael talks about the Southern life cycle in food:

Food plays a critical role in the life cycle of the American South. When a child is born, some families hold a 'sip-and-see,' in which a child is received by their community for the first time. When one leaves the world, a good homegoing or funeral demands an ample repast, often with the favorite dishes of the one who has passed.

As the great chef and author Nathalie Dupree said, food 'is the very first thing we control as an infant and the very last thing we control when we are dying.' Life is bridged by food, from pot likker mashed with cornbread in toddlerhood to favorite treats left at the grave or altar brought faithfully on days of remembrance.

Southern food is emblematic of life's path and the journey through Southern identity and knowledge transfer. In our youth, some Southern kids are put to snapping beans, sorting peas, picking berries, and making forays in the garden and farmers' market, where we learn by watching and through imitation.

Soon, others of us will catch our first fish, usually a sunfish or smallmouth bass, and realize that fried fish doesn't just come that way. By the time we are teenagers, some will take up the rod again, or the gun, and deer, turkey, or ducks may come to the table after a first kill.

In the days when youth organizations like Jack and Jill of America and 4-H clubs were paths of socialization, food played a prominent role in raising money (Girl Scout Cookies started in the South with Juliette Gordon Low). Additionally, potlucks and organizational cookbooks (especially chapters of the Junior League) were a key part of growing up.

American fraternities and sororities at colleges often have parties based around local food traditions like barbecues, cookouts, oyster roasts, crab boils, and stews, ensuring that specific tastes and flavors will be inculcated right at the time when adulthood means establishing new homes, lineages, and the passing of cookbooks to new hands as wedding gifts.

How to Make King Cake

Ingredients

• yeast - grab some active dry yeast for this special Mardi Gras king cake
• sugar - granulated sugar (or your favorite substitute) is needed for the cake and sifted powdered sugar is recommended for the icing
• water - use warm water to make the king cake dough
• flour - this recipe calls for all-purpose flour
• salt - fine salt
• cinnamon - ground cinnamon and nutmeg make this cake flavorful
• nutmeg - grate it yourself, or cheat, whichever you prefer
• milk - warmed whole milk is recommended
• egg - you only need the yolk, save the egg whites for that super light recipe you've been thinking about
• butter - avoid salted butter for the cake, you want unsalted
• oil - use vegetable oil to grease the bowl you're using for the cake dough
• sanding sugar or sprinkles - if you've got the resources, purple, green, and gold or yellow sanding sugar makes a beautiful cake. Otherwise, improvise. We used vibrant dot sprinkles
• nut - what's your favorite nut? A pecan half or an almond is recommended, but you're the hunter. Choose the right nut, and you could be crowned King or Queen

Equipment

• prep bowls
• kitchen scale
• whisk
• spoon or spatula
• measuring spoons
• measuring cup
• box grater
• small saucepan
• baking slab or baking sheet with parchment paper
• tea towel

Combine the Yeast, Sugar, & Water

Wash your hands with soap and water. Combine the yeast, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and the warm water in a small bowl. Use a spoon to mix it well. Set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

Combine the Flour, Remaining Sugar, Salt, Cinnamon, & Nutmeg

Use a kitchen scale to weigh 3 ½ cups of flour and ½ cup of sugar. Add them to a large bowl. Use measuring spoons to add the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl. Whisk the ingredients.

Add the Yeast Mixture to the Flour Mixture

Use your hands or a spoon to create a well in the flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well. Mix it all together with a large spoon or spatula.

Add the Milk & Eggs

Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the stove when finished. While the milk is warming, crack and separate 5 eggs. Beat the egg yolks with a whisk. Discard the eggwhites or save them for another recipe. Wash your hands.

Add the warmed milk and egg yolks to the flour mixture. Stir for 5 to 7 minutes to create a very soft dough.

Add the Butter & More Flour

Add the room temperature butter to the dough. Use your hands to mix it into the dough. Michael suggests pressing it against the sides of the bowl to incorporate it.

Add another ½ cup of flour to the dough and use your hands to combine. The dough should be sticky but still hold its shape. Continue to add flour, little by little, until you have a soft dough that is more dry than sticky.

Knead the Dough & Rest It

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface. Apply some flour to your hands and knead the dough. Keep adding a little flour while you knead until the dough is soft, springy, and dry. Knead for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Rest it in a warm place in your kitchen for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The dough should be dry, puffed up, and twice its original size.

Shape the Dough & Rest It

Transfer the dough back to the lightly floured work surface. Punch the dough with your fist to release any air. Knead it for 1 minute. Shape the dough into a plump cylinder. It should be about 20 inches long.

Transfer the dough to the baking slab or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Shape the dough into an open ring. The ring can be oval or round. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake the King Cake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the king cake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Rotate the baking slab from front to back halfway through baking. Turn off the oven when finished.

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before icing.

Make the Icing

While you wait, make the icing. Use a whisk to combine the powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl. The icing should be smooth, shiny, and thick but pourable.

Decorate the Cake

Prepare a surface for decorating. Place the cooling rack with the cake over parchment paper or a baking sheet to catch any fallout from the icing, sanding sugar, or, in our case, dot sprinkles.

Drizzle the icing over the cake with a spoon. Quickly sprinkle on the decorations using a purple, green, and gold/yellow pattern. Create stripes or big color patches.

Let it stand for 15 minutes. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and enjoy!