King Cakes: A Sweet Mardi Gras Tradition

Mardi Gras is one of the most exciting celebrations of the year, a time when people dress up in colorful costumes, decorate their homes, and indulge in delicious sweets. One of the most iconic and beloved desserts associated with Mardi Gras is the King Cake. This flavorful pastry has a rich history and is enjoyed all over the world, especially during the carnival season. So, let’s dive into how to make a King Cake, a sweet Mardi Gras tradition.

Ingredients:
– 2 packets of instant yeast
– 1/2 cup of sugar
– 1/2 cup of melted butter
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
– 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
– 3 eggs
– 1 cup of milk
– 5 1/2 cups of flour
– 1 cup of raisins
– 1 cup of chopped pecans
– 1 small plastic baby figurine
– 2 cups of powdered sugar
– 2 tablespoons of milk
– 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
– Food coloring (green, purple, and gold)

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, yeast, melted butter, salt, lemon zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, three eggs, and one cup of milk. Mix them together.
2. Add five cups of flour to the mixture, stirring it continuously until it becomes a smooth dough.
3. Dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough for ten minutes.
4. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl, covering it with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour until it doubles in size.
5. Once the dough is ready, add raisins and pecans to it.
6. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s an oval shape about sixteen inches long.
8. Insert the baby figurine somewhere into the dough.
9. Fold the dough in half, covering the figurine, pinching the edges to seal it tightly.
10. Shape the dough into a ring and put it on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
11. After the cake has cooled, make the icing. Combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and food coloring into a thick paste. Spread the icing on the cake and then finally sprinkling on the purple, green, and gold sugars accordingly.

Summary

– King Cakes are an iconic dessert to enjoy during carnival season, especially on Mardi Gras.
– There are several ingredients you will need for making King Cake, but the recipe is not too complicated to follow.
– Mixing sugar, melted butter, salt, and other ingredients along with flour, raisins, and pecans forms a smooth dough.
– After shaping the dough into an oval, you insert a small figurine and fold the dough seal it tightly before shaping it into a ring and baking it in the oven.
– The last step is to combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and food coloring for the icing and decorate your cake with purple, green, and gold sugars.