Mardi Gras - King Cake Recipe - and Why!

Hi ya Gorgeous!

Happy Mardi Gras! Laissez les bons temps rouler—let the good times roll!

This is the story, of King Cake, and why! It's so beautiful! Enjoy!

 

 Now make this cake and celebrate! I am sharing this recipe from the Betty Crocker website 

Ingredients

3 1/2

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1

package (2 1/4 teaspoons) Rapid Rise yeast

1

cup milk

1/4

cup sugar

1

teaspoon salt

2

eggs Save $

6

tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces

Cinnamon Filling

2/3

cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

4

tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Icing

1

cup powdered sugar

1

tablespoon milk

1/2

teaspoon vanilla

Decoration

Dark green, purple, and yellow or gold sugars, if desired

Miniature plastic baby, if desired

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Steps

• 1

  Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl of stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, on low for about 30 seconds.
• 2

  Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and milk is between 120°F to 130°F.
• 3

  With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed to make a soft dough. Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed.
• 4

  Knead for eight minutes on low. The dough should completely clear the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading.
• 5

  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 6

  While the dough is chilling, make cinnamon filling. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Combine butter with cinnamon mixture and mix well.
• 7

  Roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. Fold the dough in half covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will stick together. Cut dough into three long strips. Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the edges together.
• 8

  Transfer the ring to a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing. To hide the baby in the cake, if desired, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in after the cake has cooled.
• 9

  Icing: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin).
• 10

  Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors.

• This recipe uses Rapid Rise yeast which eliminates the time consuming first rise in a typical brioche recipe.
• Use a pizza cutter to easily cut dough into strips.
• The cake can also be made without braiding. Just roll up the dough jelly roll style after spreading the filling.
• Mardi Gras conjures up images of fun, frivolity and feasting and no Mardi Gras celebration would be complete with a colorful King Cake. A brioche or sweet roll dough is braided, baked in a circle and decorated with icing and purple, green and gold sugars. Kind of like a crown shaped cinnamon roll all dressed up for a party.

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Happy Resurrection Sunday - REJOICE!

Hi ya Gorgeous!
Raise a hallelujah! Rejoice! He is risen! The tomb is empty. The plan has worked.
This is the best day of the year - ever.  There are so many days in a year whether on the gregorian calendar or the Hebraic calendar - though this day, is the most significant because it's the day that all of the trust put into the plan of God, even when it didn't make sense to the human natural mind, made sense when Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after being hung on the cross.

For where ever you are in your faith journey - today is a day to shout and dance! Celebrate and sing! If you are new in your faith, this day marks the beginning of the new covenant journey. If you are seasoned in your faith, then today is a day to receive fresh fire and belief in your walk with the Word.

Amen! Amen and amen.

Yes, enjoy peeps and chocolate bunnies - though know, that the real reason we celebrate is the blood of the lamb that was shed for us. Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary for you, me and all of us - and then he rose again on the 3rd day, alive, spotless and our risen Savior.  It's why the gospel is called the good news.  And it's good.

Happy Easter!
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Happy Passover!


Remember: you are beautiful! Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!