Flaky King Cake Recipes

KING CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a pizza pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, or a stand up mixer, blend together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla.
• Open the packaged rolls and unroll dough.
• Separate triangles at the perforations. Place crescent rolls in a circle, with points facing the center and sides touching. Press together the center of the seams, leaving the top and bottom not pressed together.
• Add the orange slice at this time if using this option (see Gr8 Tip below).
• Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough, leaving 2 inches at the top, and 2 inches at the bottom of each triangle without filling.
• Starting at the point, fold down to the center. From the wide end, fold up, fully enclosing the filling. Continue all around the circle.
• Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
• If inserting the small plastic baby or bean (see Gr8 Tip below), lift cake and press into the bottom of the cake. Make Creamy Glaze.

FLAKY KING CAKE

Steps:

• For the dough, whisk flour paste ingredients together then microwave in 25 second increments on high. Whisk after each session until stiff and pudding-like ~50-75 seconds. Add to stand mixer bowl to cool.
• Stir yeast into warm milk & let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs then stir into flour paste mixture until smooth.
• Add flour then, with paddle attachment, mix on low until uniformly moist, ~1-2 mins. Stop and let stand 15 mins.
• Replace paddle with dough hook. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low for 5 mins.
• Add butter slices. Mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. Scrape down hook and bowl. Continue mixing until until the dough forms into a very elastic, smooth ball. 10-15 mins.
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl & cover. Let dough rise until doubled in volume, 40-60 mins. Optional: Place in refrigerator overnight.
• To Assemble: on a floured counter, flatten dough & shape into a 12" square. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll to 1/4" thick forming a rectangle. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll to 1/8". Let rest 10 minutes. Roll to 1/16" or thinner. You should now have a large 24"x48" rectangle.
• Brush melted brown butter over the entire dough.
• Using a pizza cutter, slice dough in half lengthwise. Place one half on top of the other and repeat. You should have 4 stacked layers of dough measuring about 6"x48".
• Cut in half through the middle to make two 24" pieces. Roll out both pieces to around 48" again. If dough springs back, let rest for 10 minutes.
• Brush with melted brown butter. Stir brown sugar & cinnamon together then sprinkle it in a very thin layer over the dough, patting in place. Roll each dough tightly into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Mark every inch with a very sharp knife to use as your guide. To slice, hold a strand of dental floss taut and slide underneath the cylinder, stopping at the first mark. Cross ends of floss over each other and pull. Transfer each slice, cut side down, to your parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let chill in fridge for 45-55 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place slices on new parchment paper in a circle for traditional king cake shape or space out for individual cakes.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through for even color until golden brown. Top with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing while warm.

GIANT KING CAKE POP-TART®

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Mix brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt together for the tart in a medium bowl with a fork or clean hands until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl; set aside.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Place one sheet of puff pastry on the surface; gently pinch the seams of the sheet together. Lightly dust surface of pastry with flour and roll into a 9x13-inch rectangle.
• Carefully transfer the puff pastry sheet to the prepared pan and prick the entire surface with a fork. Spread the brown sugar-cinnamon filling all over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Use a pastry brush to brush this 1-inch border with egg wash.
• Repeat rolling process detailed in step 4 with the second sheet of pastry. Using your rolling pin, carefully place the second sheet of pastry on top of the first, lining up the corners and edges. Seal the two sheets of pastry around the edges by pressing together with the prongs of a fork. Prick the entire surface with a fork and brush all over with egg wash.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the tart cools, beat cream cheese and butter together for icing until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Spread the icing over top of the tart. Decorate as desired with sanding sugars.