Easy King Cake Recipe with Festive Purple Green Gold Icing Swirl Guide
A straightforward and festive King Cake recipe featuring a soft, chewy cinnamon sugar-filled dough and a colorful Mardi Gras-inspired icing swirl. Perfect for celebrations and last-minute parties.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American, New Orleans
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed (240ml)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (200g)
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (57g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
- 2–3 tbsp milk (30-45ml), adjust for consistency
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring gels in purple, green, and gold (yellow and green combined if no gold)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C) with yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture, softened butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, then knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1½ hours until doubled in size.
- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the filling in a small bowl.
- Punch down dough and roll out on floured surface into a 12×16 inch rectangle.
- Spread cinnamon sugar filling evenly over dough, leaving a small border.
- Roll dough tightly from long edge into a log, pinch edges to seal, then form a circle and pinch seam. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover loosely and let rise for 30-40 minutes until puffed.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cake for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to a smooth glaze. Divide into three bowls and tint with purple, green, and gold food coloring.
- Drizzle colored icings in alternating stripes or swirls over warm cake. Let icing set 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Use gel food coloring for vibrant icing swirls without thinning the glaze. Knead dough until smooth and slightly tacky but not wet. Let dough rise twice for best texture. For gluten-free, substitute flour with gluten-free blend and add xanthan gum if needed. Store cake wrapped tightly at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze sliced portions for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: King Cake, Mardi Gras, cinnamon sugar cake, festive cake, easy King Cake recipe, colorful icing, New Orleans dessert