An authentic Mardi Gras king cake scented with fresh citrus and bursting with a sweet, cinnamon filling. This recipe is adapted from Haydel's Bakery's original recipe. And calls for rich, flavorful butter instead of the hydrogenated vegetable shortening you'll find in many traditional recipes. And since a king cake is actually a braided, brioche-style bread, this recipe explains how to break up the process for easier baking.
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The Story
The king cake tradition is perhaps the most well-known symbol of Mardi Gras aside from the flashy parades. And a classic king cake is more cinnamon roll than actual cake. An enriched, brioche-style dough is filled with cinnamon, sugar, and often pecans and shaped to resemble a crown. Adorned with simple white icing and decorated in the symbolic colors of Mardi Gras, a baby (or bean) hidden inside brings luck to the reveler who finds it in their slice.
Tradition, Improved
This recipe is adapted from an original Haydel's Bakery recipe. The bakeshop is a New Orleans mainstay, but their recipe calls for vegetable shortening. And as a classically-trained chef, I couldn't possibly bake a cake with partially hydrogenated, flavorless oil (especially given the known, negative effects of trans fat on longevity and heart health).
So this king cake recipe calls for butter, a side effect of my French-influenced culinary education. And especially if you use European-style butter, it gives the yeasty cinnamon roll a richer flavor more akin to true brioche. Orange and lemon zest replace the extracts you'll find in Haydel's recipe to lend a fresher zing.
The Ingredients
The ingredients for a king cake are nearly identical to classic brioche (bread) with a cinnamon roll filling. The citrus zest and nutmeg are optional, but traditional New Orleans king cakes are often scented with orange and lemon flavors in one form or another.
- Whole milk. Reduced-fat (2%) milk will yield a slightly less rich cake but can work. I'd stay away from skim, it's void of the milkfat that an enriched dough needs.
- Instant dry yeast. Active dry yeast is also fine to use. But you'll need to first dissolve it in warm milk until it's frothy. Aim for milk at about 115°F. Once the mixture foams, add it to the dough with the eggs and extracts. If the yeast and milk mixture doesn't froth, the yeast is bad and you'll need to start over.
- Unsalted butter. If your budget allows, reach for grass-fed or European butter like Kerrygold or Vital Farms for a rich, buttery cake.
- Granulated sugar. For less of a sugar high (and since king cakes are doused in sugar after baking anyway) you can cut the sugar by 20%, if you like.
- Kosher salt. As with all my recipes, the amount of salt is based on kosher salt. If you're using table salt, use half the amount.
- Large eggs. Size matters with eggs, too. 😄 This recipe is designed for large eggs. The total weight of eggs should be 4.2 ounces, regardless of which size you buy.
- Vanilla extract. I recommend pure vanilla, nothing artificial.
- Orange and lemon zest. If you stock orange and lemon extract in your pantry, use a quarter teaspoon of each in place of the zest. Or mix both in the dough if you like.
- Nutmeg. Grate it fresh if you have fun using your microplane. Otherwise, ground nutmeg adds the same subtle nuance.
- All-purpose flour. With bread recipes, the texture of the dough relies on the specific percentage of gluten proteins in any given flour. And different types contain different amounts of gluten proteins. Stick with all-purpose for the best results. Unfortunately, this is one recipe where a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour doesn't work very well.
The Filling
These final ingredients are for the cinnamon roll filling, the simple icing, and colored sugar sprinkled on top. If you can find purple, green, and gold decorating sprinkles, you'll save yourself the step of coloring granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Ground cinnamon
- Chopped pecans, optional
- Confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- Milk
- Purple, green, and gold sugar sprinkles (or granulated sugar and yellow, green, and purple (or red + blue) food coloring)
The Method
A king cake is an enriched dough, or a yeast-leavened bread recipe that calls for fatty ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter. Many enriched doughs like brioche are mildly sweet. But sugar is optional as far as this category of bread is concerned.
For a soft, tender, moist king cake, allow the dough to indeed double in size during the first proofing. This may take more than two hours (I set my bowl on the fireplace mantle in the winter to speed up the process).
If you want to bake over a couple of days, you can proof the dough in the refrigerator overnight. This is called retarding the dough because the cooler temperature makes for slower rising. But more flavor can develop during the longer time frame.
When it comes to filling, braiding, and shaping the cake, give yourself grace. Forming it into a perfect circle or oval and sealing the edges seamlessly takes practice and finesse. And the icing and festive sprinkles easily cover any irregularities.
I do advise sealing in the filling as best you can. Otherwise, it can leak out in the oven and the sugars will burn at the bottom of the cake. If this happens, simply break or slice away any burnt caramel before you decorate the cake.
The Steps
If you are new to bread baking, I recommend reading through the steps below at least once before you begin. And don't be intimidated! Even novice bread bakers can pull together a smashingly beautiful, delicious king cake for Mardi Gras their first time out.
- Gather and prep. Before you begin mixing, measure out all of your ingredients and have them at arm's reach. Grate the zest of the orange and lemon. And be sure to allow the butter to soften, and the milk and eggs to come to room temperature.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together in a large bowl the all-purpose flour, yeast, and nutmeg.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and salt. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until lightened in color and smooth, about three minutes. Scrape the bowl and the beater(s).
- Beat in the wet ingredients. If the milk feels cold to the touch, warm it over low heat on the stove or for 20 seconds in the microwave (it'll help activate the yeast faster). Beat in the citrus zest and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time beating at medium speed, letting the first blend in completely before adding the second. Scrape the bowl and beater often to keep the mixture as smooth as possible. Add the milk and beat a minute longer (the mixture may appear lumpy after you add the milk, this is fine).
- Add the dry ingredients. On low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time. Scrape down the bowl and beater often with a spatula to help mix it all in. If using a handheld mixer (and kneading by hand), mix in the last third of the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Knead the dough. Scrape all the dough off the mixer paddle and switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed or knead the dough by hand until it is smooth, supple, and elastic when gently stretched. This takes 10 minutes in a stand mixer. By hand, it will take a bit longer. The mixer bowl or kneading surface should be perfectly clean, and the dough should not be sticky. (If it is sticky when you begin kneading, add flour a little at a time until it's not).
- Proof. Shape the dough into a large round, brush the top with oil, and let it rise in a covered, oiled bowl until it doubles in size. This takes at least two hours or a little more. You can also wrap the bowl well and proof it in the refrigerator overnight (about 12 hours). Let it come to room temperature before moving on to the next step, which can take several hours.
- Mix the filling. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt. If you'd like chopped pecans in your cake, mix a half cup into the filling.
- Shape the cake. Lightly press the air out of the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12" x 24" in size. If the dough begins shrinking back, cover it with plastic wrap, let it rest for 20 minutes, and then continue rolling.
- Add the filling. Brush the dough with melted butter or oil. Then cut it lengthwise into three strips. Spread the filling evenly among all three strips, leaving space at the edges. Starting with a long side, roll each strip and pinch the edges closed very well to seal in the filling.
- Braid. Lay the strips side-by-side and braid them together. Once braided, press and roll the braid gently to lengthen it a little. Start with your hands in the center of the braid and work your way to the ends. Transfer the braid to a parchment-lined baking pan and shape it into a circle or oval (oval is New Orleans tradition). Pinch the open ends together and tuck them underneath if possible.
- Final proof. Cover the shaped dough and let it proof (rise) in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This can take an hour and up to two hours. Judge with your eyes and not the clock.
- Preheat and bake. When the dough is nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven to 350° F. Brush the cake with melted butter or oil, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, and sounds hollow when tapped. The best technique for knowing when bread is done is to measure its internal temperature with a meat or probe thermometer. Aim for 190° F to 195° for the king cake.
- Cool and decorate. Cool the cake completely before decorating. Push a baby figure, bean, or pecan half into the bottom of the cake when no one is looking (it's easier to do before you decorate it). Whisk the icing ingredients well and drizzle evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on the purple, green, and gold (yellow) sugar or sprinkles.
- Store covered. King cakes stay moist for a few days when stored airtight at room temperature. King cakes with perishable fillings should be refrigerated. Always store king cakes at room temperature for the fullest flavors and softest texture.
Homemade Colored Sugar
If you don't have or don't want to buy purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles, you can make your own. Simply stir each food color into a few tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. Or rub the food coloring and sugar together in sealed plastic food baggies. Without purple food coloring, you can mix red and blue to make purple.
Chef's Tips
- Retard the dough overnight. Calling all late-night bakers! Baking a king cake from scratch is a process. To break up the work, mix and knead the dough before you go to bed, then let it proof in the refrigerator overnight. This is called retarding the dough and makes for a more supple texture and richer flavor. Since the yeast ferments and rises slowly, it creates more of its signature taste in the cake than when it rises faster at warmer temperatures.
- Braid three strips of dough, no less. Many popular king cake recipes call for twisting together only two filled strips of dough. But as a chef and more importantly a New Orleans native, I can attest this isn't authentic. A traditional king cake offers loads of cinnamon in every bite. And a true braid is the ticket to this signature taste and appearance.
- Brush the cake with simple syrup. To help your cake stay moist longer, brush the outside with simple syrup before you decorate it. It's a professional baker's secret weapon. And I have a sneaking suspicion that's how many of the New Orleans bakeries keep their cakes destined for shipping from drying out before they arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, indeed! Frozen cakes may thaw with a slightly different texture than a fresh-baked cake, especially if it's decorated. But if you wrap the cake in an air-tight container or cut and store slices in an air-tight bag, the cake freezes well for a couple of months. For the best freezing, use the water displacement method described below.
To create an airtight seal using water displacement, put the cake in a large zipper food storage bag and fill a large mixing bowl with water. With the bag unsealed, gently push the bottom into the water. Continue submerging the bag and stop when the water is just below the seal. Seal the bag closed while it's submerged, then remove it and dry the outside. You should notice the bag clings to the contents (cake) in a similar way to an item that was vacuum-sealed.
The purple, green, and gold sugar decorations on a Mardi Gras king cake symbolize power, faith, and justice. A king cake is a tradition with roots in Catholicism. And is enjoyed on the Epiphany, or Twelfth Night (the 12th day of Christmas when the magi bestowed gifts on the newborn Christ). Many Catholic and Christian cultures observe King's Day. However, in New Orleans, the day kicks off the Mardi Gras season, which culminates on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
📖 Recipe
Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe
Nothing says Mardi Gras like a king cake! This recipe is adapted from an original Haydel's Bakery recipe. If you don't have or can't find a little plastic baby, you can push a dried bean into the bottom of the cake after baking when no one is looking.Â
A stand mixer with the paddle and dough hook attachments saves you the work of kneading by hand. But you can certainly bake up a beautiful king cake with a hand mixer and a little elbow grease.Â
- Total Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes (3 hours are inactive)
- Yield: 1 Mardi Gras King Cake 1x
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 23 ounces or 5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 packages of instant dry yeast* (¼-ounce each)Â
- ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 cup of whole milk, room temperature (can use reduced fat)
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of orange zest (from one orange)
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (from one lemon)
- ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4.25 ounces or ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (½ teaspoon of table salt)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Canola or avocado oil, for greasing the bowl and brushing the cake
- 1 dried bean, half a pecan, or a little plastic baby (craft stores sell them)
For the Filling
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup of brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt (small pinch of table salt)
- ½ cup of chopped pecans, optional
For DecoratingÂ
- 2 cups of confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- ¼ cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- Purple, green, and gold decorating sprinkles or tinted sugar*
Instructions
If this if your first time working with yeast or baking bread, I recommend reading through the steps below at least once before you begin.
- Gather and prep. Measure out all of your ingredients and have them at arm's reach. Grate the zest of the orange and lemon. Allow the butter to soften, and the milk and eggs to come to room temperature.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together in a bowl the all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast, and nutmeg.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat the butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until lightened in color and smooth, about three minutes. Scrape the bowl and the beater(s).
- Add the eggs, flavorings, and milk. If the milk feels cold to the touch, warm it briefly over low heat on the stove or for 20 seconds in the microwave. Beat the citrus zest and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the eggs one at a time beating at medium speed, letting the first blend in completely before adding the second. Scrape the bowl and beater to keep the mixture as smooth as possible. Add the milk and beat for a minute more (the mixture may appear lumpy).Â
- Add the dry ingredients. On low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, scraping down the bowl and beater often to create a smooth dough. If using a handheld mixer and kneading by hand, mix in the last third of the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Knead the dough. Scrape all the dough off the mixer paddle and switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed or knead the dough by hand until it is smooth, supple, and elastic when gently stretched. This takes about 10 minutes in a stand mixer. By hand, it will take several minutes longer. The mixer bowl or kneading surface should be perfectly clean, and the dough should not be sticky (add a little more flour as you begin to knead if it is).
- Proof. Shape the dough into a large round, brush the top with oil, and let it rise in a covered, oiled bowl until it doubles in size. This takes at least two hours. You can also proof the dough in the refrigerator overnight (about 12 hours). Let it come to room temperature before moving on to the next step, which can take several hours.
- Mix the filling. When the shaped dough has almost doubled in size, mix together the filling ingredients. You can mix them ahead of time and store the filling covered.
- Roll the dough and shape the cake. Press the air out of the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a large rectangle, about 12" x 24" in size. If the dough begins shrinking back as you roll, cover it with plastic wrap, let it rest for 20 minutes, and then continue rolling.
- Add the filling. Brush the top of the dough with oil or melted butter. Cut it lengthwise into three like-size strips. Then spread the filling evenly among the strips leaving space at the edges. Starting with a long side, roll each strip up and pinch the edges closed to seal in the filling.
- Braid. Lay the strips of dough side-by-side and braid them together tightly. Once braided, press and roll the braid gently to lengthen it a little. Start with your hands in the center of the braid and work your way to the ends. Transfer the braid to a parchment-ling baking pan and shape it into a circle or oval. Pinch the open ends together well to seal them off and tuck the closure underneath, if possible.
- Final proof. Cover the shaped dough with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it proof (rise) until it doubles in size. This can take an hour or up to two hours. Judge with your eyes and not the clock.
- Preheat and bake. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven to 350° F. Brush the cake with melted butter or oil, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes. The king cake is done when the top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature of the cake should be 190° F to 195° when measured with a probe (meat) thermometer.Â
- Cool and decorate. Cool the cake completely before decorating. Push a baby figure, bean, or pecan half into the bottom of the cake when no one is looking. Whisk the icing ingredients until smooth and drizzle evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on the purple, green, and gold (yellow) colored sugar or sprinkles.Â
- Store covered. King cakes stay moist for a couple of days when stored airtight at room temperature. King cakes with perishable fillings should be refrigerated. If you do chill the cake, allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Cold constricts flavors and toughens the texture of bread and cakes.Â
Notes
Chef's Tip
To help your cake stay moist longer, brush the top and sides with simple syrup before you decorate it. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar, cool the syrup, then brush on the baked king cake before decorating it. Store simple syrup in the refrigerator for a few weeks.Â
On Active vs. Instant Yeast
Active dry yeast is also fine to use in the same amount. But you'll first need to heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until it's around 115°F (use a digital meat thermometer, or check with your finger for milk hotter than bath water but not scalding). Then stir in the yeast and let it sit. If the mixture doesn't froth after five or ten minutes, the yeast is bad and you'll need to start over.
On the Baby
Craft stores and online retailers sell the little plastic baby figures found in traditional king cakes. You can also use a dried bean or a pecan half to symbolize the baby in the cake.Â
For Homemade Colored Sugar Sprinkles
If you don't have or don't want to buy purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles you can make your own. Simply stir food coloring into a few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Or rub the food coloring and sugar together in sealed plastic food baggies. For homemade purple food coloring, combine equal drops of red and blue until you like the tint of the sugar.
- Prep Time: 4 hours (3 hours inactive)
- Cook Time: 18 to 22 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Creole
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Inch-wide Slice of King Cake
- Calories: 351
- Sugar: 37.4 g
- Sodium: 96.5 mg
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.1 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 4.6 g
- Cholesterol: 38.5 mg
Keywords: mardi gras king cake, mardi gras, Haydel's Bakery, King Cake recipe
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Bud
Came out great! Been craving this since we moved from New Orleans. Thanks!
Chef Christina
My pleasure, Bud, thanks for reading!
Madison
This King Cake recipe rivals ones from bakeries in New Orleans. A little time consuming but worth it. Your whole family will enjoy, especially the little ones on the hunt for the hidden baby!
Chef Christina
Thanks, Madison! Glad you enjoyed it and found success. 🙂
Matt
Nutmeg is in the ingredients list, but not in the instructions. I added it with the zest.
Likewise the yeast/milk/sugar mixture. I added it after all the flour had been added but I assume it should have been added before that.
Hopefully my cake works out!
Christina
Hey Matt!
Thanks for sharing the missed details! This is an older post that is on the list for updating. Perhaps I should hire you as a recipe editor:) I'm glad you stopped by, however, and am sure your cake will be great as your instincts were correct. I hope you enjoy it and let the good times roll:)
razor123
Add 2 cups of what? With the mixer on low speed.
edibletimes
So sorry! This one went wacky in an update - fix coming right away!
spicegirlfla
Oooh...yours looks so perfectly made!! You're right this definitely looks like the real deal!! Thanks for stopping my blog and sharing this!!
edibletimes
Of course! I love all things sweet and from the South. Happy baking!
Heather@Creative Family Moments
Such a beautiful cake!