If you are the hunt for Mardi Gras recipes, here's a good scratch recipe for a King Cake with sour cream. I had to update the post a bit because my old notes are from when we lived in Texas. My notes said we enjoyed the cake and that I'll probably use the recipe forever. "Use forever" is a strong phrase coming from old me because I did and still do recipe-hop. However, it's a signal that this is a solid recipe. That, plus it's adapted from one in Southern Living which is a go-to source for anything Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday related.
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King Cake with Sour Cream
Sour cream softens the texture and bumps up the flavor of yeasted coffee cakes. This cake calls for 1 full cup of sour cream, so you'll certainly know it's there. For best results, make sure to use full fat and not light or "lite" sour cream. Also, don't forget to bring the sour cream room temperature. A lot of recipes, including many of mine, just say "sour cream". Using cold ingredients directly from the refrigerator will cool down the dough and may slow the rise. I've been trying to update my old yeast bread recipes to mention this.
Recipe for One King Cake
As mentioned, this one was adapted from Southern Living. The original recipe makes two cakes. Since this was my first ever scratch King Cake, I halved it, but it's still one fairly large cake. You may want to halve it again and make it even smaller for a mini size. Just because you don't have a huge group to bake for, doesn't mean you shouldn't do it!
Frosting and Colored Sugar Sprinkles
The frosting is easy with just butter, sugar, vanilla and milk, but you'll need those colored sugar sprinkles! Here's a pack of colored sugar sprinkles that should work. You can also check Wal*Mart, as they sometimes sell a King Cake sanding sugar set of green, lavender and yellow. The advantage to the Wilton package I linked to is that it has some extra pink sugar.
Recipe
Scratch King Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (240 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 packet active dry yeast** (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup warm water 100° to 110°
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour 14.6 oz/408 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 4 tablespoons softened butter (56 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 grams)
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (240 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Whole milk as needed 1-2 tablespoons
- Purple green and yellow colored sugar
Instructions
- Heat the sour cream, sugar, butter and salt together in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Let cool to about 110 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, stir together yeast and ¼ cup warm (115 degrees) water. Let sit for five minutes or until yeast becomes frothy.
- Put 3 cups of flour in a stand mixer bowl. Add the cooled sour cream mixture and stir well, then stir in the egg, yeast mixture and vanilla. Beat by hand or with paddle attachment until well mixed and all flour is incorporated.
- Set the bowl on the stand mixer and knead with the dough hook. If dough seems sticky and does not leave the sides, continue adding remaining ¼ cup flour one tablespoon at a time (I used it all). Knead until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Rub a large bowl generously with butter and put the dough in the bowl. Turn it over to coat with butter, then cover and put in a warm place for 1 hour to rise.
- Punch down dough and roll into a large rectangle. It should be around 22x12, though mine was more like 20x12. Spread softened butter over rectangle leaving a 1-inch border. Stir together ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over rectangle. This is also the point where you can put a plastic baby or a bean in it if you choose to do so. I don't recommend it because it's a choking hazard, but it's tradition.
- Roll up in a jelly-roll fashion starting from the long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet and bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal.
- Cover loosely and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
- Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cake on pan on wire racks (about 10 minutes). Note: You may need to bake up to 25 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should register about 205 degrees.
- Let cool (you can ice while warm or let cool completely) and prepare glaze.
Glaze
- In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the sugar and stir it around until thick and powdery but still dry. Add the vanilla, then add 1 tablespoon of milk and stir well. Continue adding milk 1 teaspoon at a time until icing is a good consistency for drizzling. Pour over the cake and decorate with colored sugar.
Nancy says
That is a fine looking King Cake! I am presently enamored with one from Moeller's Bakery here. It's not traditional -- it has an almond paste filling and cream cheese frosting and it is delicious. Next year . . . .
Veronica says
Hi Anna, I grew up in New Orleans area my whole life. I eat King cakes every year. Yours looks delicious! Looks like it is straight from New Orleans! Great Job! I can't wait to try your homemade recipe. Thanks
Gloria says
Sue, I'll need to look at the Byerly's ad I receive on line more carefully! I wish the weather from the South would come up here. Not the ice, just the warmth.
Anna says
Vee, I forgot all about the baby this time. It used to be a big deal, but now everyone's more interested in the cake.
Vee says
Hi,
this year is the first time I am making king cake, I had been putting it off for years! I also used th southern living recipe and excited to see the end result. It is proofing now! I don't have a baby to put inside, so I am wapping a dime in foil and putting that in. I didn't use a machine, and it was pretty easy to work with. I am from VA, but have friends from lousisana.
Sue says
It isn't a tradition where I grew up or where I now live. Gloria and Karen. I was shocked to see them in a Byerly's ad this past week. I don't remember ever seeing them in Miinesota before. Perhaps they're becoming popular here too?
Karen Schmidt-Dill says
Thanks for this recipe, Anna. I have made King Cake a couple of times, both from scratch, I didn't even know there as a "short-cut" method. Ha. Neither of the times did I like how it turned out. I am looking forward to trying this one. I should have had one done this year for church coffee hour today. The concept of King Cake for Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday was a foreign concept to me until a few years ago. I'm not Catholic nor am I a southerner. LOL I don't know that there are very many Minnesotans that practice this or know about the baby inside the Cake.
Anna says
Gloria, I grew up in Texas and didn't hear about King Cake until well into my twenties when I'd moved away. This year it was very popular for some reason and everyone was ordering them or buying them at the grocery store. As far as time, it really didn't take much time at all! I use my stand mixer, dough hook and scale and breads come together really quickly.
Gloria says
That is an amazingly beautiful-looking cake! I've never heard of a King Cake until now.
Kind of looks like a cinnamon roll and probably tastes that good too!
Where do you find the time...