Mardi Gras King Cake
 
Ingredients
  • DOUGH:
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup butter, cubed
  • 1½ tablespoons (2 packages) active dry yeast
  • ⅔ cup warm water (about 110° F)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 5½ cups all-purpose flour
  • NUT FILLING:
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅔ cup chopped pecans
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • (optional ½ to ¾ cup raspberry jam to spread on top)
  • FROSTING:
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • about 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • purple, green and yellow food dyes
  • purple, green and yellow sugars
  • (combine granulated sugar with dyes if unavailable)
Instructions
  1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in the cubed butter. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and 1 tablespoon in warm water until combined. Let the mixture stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When it becomes difficult to stir, it is ok to use the bread dough hook on a mixer. Mix until all of the flour has been combined and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
  5. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  6. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat the top with oil. Lightly cover with a plastic wrap and a damp towel. Place in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. While the dough is rising, prepare the fillings (see below).
  7. When doubled in bulk, punch down and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half out into large rectangles, about 10 inches by 16 or 18 inches.
  8. If using the nut filling, spread evenly over the dough surface, leaving a half -inch border. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough. If using the cream cheese/raspberry jam filling, spread the cream cheese across the bottom, about two inches wide, then top with the jam. Both fillings can be used together, if desired.
  9. Spread a small amount of milk or water at the top edge to serve as glue. Tightly roll up each half, jellyroll-style, beginning at the wide end.
  10. Carry each to a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bring the ends of each roll together to form a circle or oval, using a bit of water or milk as glue. With scissors, make cuts ⅓ of the way through the rings at 1 to 2 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
  11. Bake in pre-heated 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake.
  12. To Make the Nut Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans and ½ cup flour. Pour ½ cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
  13. To Make the Cream Cheese Filling: combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Recipe by Crawfish and Caramel | Amy Eber at http://crawfishandcaramel.com/mardi-gras-king-cake/