Easy Traditional King Cake Recipe
A tender, braid-shaped Mardi Gras classic: a soft, yeasted ring filled with cinnamon-sugar, finished with a rich glaze and the iconic purple, green, and gold sprinkles. This version is approachable for home bakers and makes a festive centerpiece for any Carnival celebration.
- Prep Time: 2 hours + 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the dough
- Active dry yeast (¼ oz / 2¼ tsp / 1 packet)
- Warm water (about ¼ cup; 100–110°F)
- Granulated sugar (small pinch to bloom yeast + additional for dough)
- Full-fat sour cream
- Unsalted butter (some melted, some softened)
- Salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Bread flour (3–3½ cups) — all-purpose works too
For the filling
- Softened unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
For the glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Softened cream cheese (or substitute butter)
- Milk (2–4 tablespoons to loosen)
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
To decorate
- Purple, green, and gold sprinkles
Instructions
Activate the yeast. Whisk the yeast, a little sugar, and the warm water together in a small cup. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until foamy — that shows the yeast is alive and kicking. If it doesn’t foam, start again with fresh yeast.
Heat the dairy mix. Combine the sour cream, sugar, and some butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe cup. Warm until the butter melts, then cool this mixture to about 100–110°F before combining with the yeast.
Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the cooled sour-cream mixture, the activated yeast, the beaten egg, and about half the flour. Mix briefly to combine.
Knead and build structure. Turn the mixer to medium, then lower to low and add the remaining flour slowly until a soft dough forms. Let the machine knead until the dough feels smooth and elastic — roughly 8–10 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl but not be rock-hard.
First rise. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour. Tip: a warm oven with just the light on makes a reliable proofing spot.
Shape the logs. Punch down the dough and split it in two. Roll each piece into a rectangle roughly 16″ × 8–9″. Spread softened butter over each rectangle, leaving a slim border. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll each rectangle up tightly from one long edge, pinching the seam to seal.
Braid into a ring. Lay the two logs seam-side down and twist them together to form a braid. Bring the ends together and pinch well to form a circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet. Let the ring rest and puff for 20–30 minutes.
Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the ring 25–35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let it cool until just warm.
Make the glaze. While the cake cools, beat the powdered sugar with cream cheese (or butter), lemon juice, vanilla, and enough milk to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
Glaze and decorate. Pour the glaze over the warm cake so it drips into the twists, then immediately scatter the purple, green, and gold sprinkles in alternating bands. Let the glaze set before slicing.
Notes
- Notes & tips
- Use room-temperature ingredients where noted for a smooth dough and even texture.
- Don’t rush the rises. Proper proofing gives you the light, pillowy crumb you want.
- If the dough gets sticky while shaping, chill briefly or dust lightly with flour — cooler dough handles easier.
- To include the traditional baby figurine, insert it after baking (wrap it first) or have someone hide it in a slice — safety first.
- This recipe originally made two cakes; the amounts here create one. Double all ingredients if you want two rings.
- Store the cake at room temperature 1–2 days or refrigerate up to 3 days. Note: sprinkles may bleed slightly into the glaze over time.
- FYI: Want variety? Fold in chopped pecans to the filling, or add a cream-cheese swirl for extra richness.
Find it online: https://irmacooks.com/easy-traditional-king-cake-recipe/
