Gracious Bakery King Cake: A Delightful Treat Fit for Royalty

If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to serve during Mardi Gras season, look no further than the Gracious Bakery King Cake. This cake is a traditional New Orleans pastry that is enjoyed throughout the Carnival season, from Twelfth Night to Fat Tuesday. It’s a festive dessert that is perfect for sharing with friends and family, whether you’re celebrating at home or out on the town.

The Gracious Bakery King Cake is a delectable treat that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. It features a rich, buttery pastry that is flavored with cinnamon and sugar, and is topped with a sweet glaze and colorful sprinkles. But what makes this king cake truly special is the tiny plastic baby hidden inside. Tradition holds that whoever finds the baby in their slice of cake is said to have good luck for the year ahead.

If you’re not familiar with making king cake, don’t worry – it’s actually quite simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making a delicious Gracious Bakery King Cake:

Ingredients:
– 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup granulated sugar
– 2 teaspoons instant yeast
– 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1/2 cup lukewarm water
– 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
– 2 large eggs
– 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1/4 cup vegetable oil
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1 baby figure
– colored sanding sugar (purple, green, and gold) for decoration

Instructions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
2. Add the water, milk, and eggs, and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together and is smooth.
3. Add the butter, oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, and mix until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
5. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured surface.
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape that is about 12 inches wide by 18 inches long.
7. Place the baby figure somewhere along the length of the dough.
8. Roll the dough up tightly from one of the longer sides, like a jelly-roll.
9. Pinch the ends of the dough together to form a ring.
10. Place the ring on a lined baking sheet and let it rise for 30-45 minutes.
11. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
12. Brush the top of the cake with a beaten egg.
13. Sprinkle the colored sanding sugars on top in alternating segments.
14. Bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
15. Cool the cake completely before slicing and serving.

The Gracious Bakery King Cake is a classic Mardi Gras staple that is always a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re a New Orleans native or just looking to bring some fun and festivity into your home, this cake is the perfect dessert to add to your party spread. So why not give it a try today?

Summary:

– The Gracious Bakery King Cake is a traditional New Orleans pastry that is enjoyed throughout the Carnival season.
– It features a rich, buttery pastry that is flavored with cinnamon and sugar, and is topped with a sweet glaze and colorful sprinkles.
– The tiny plastic baby hidden inside the cake is said to bring the finder good luck for the year ahead.
– Making a Gracious Bakery King Cake is simple, and involves making a dough with flour, sugar, yeast, salt, water, milk, eggs, butter, oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
– The dough is then rolled out, rolled up with a baby figure, shaped into a ring, and topped with a beaten egg and colored sanding sugars.
– The cake is then baked for about 25-30 minutes, cooled, and served.