This Cinnamon-Pecan King Cake will become a Carnival time favorite.
King Cake Dough
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar, divided
- ⅓ cup warm water (105° to 110°)
- ½ cup plain sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine yeast, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ⅓ cup warm water. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 7 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, vanilla, eggs, and egg yolk. Add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute.
- With mixer off, add flour, salt, and remaining ⅓ cup sugar. Beat at medium-low speed until most of dry ingredients are moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat for 2 minutes. Add butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape out dough onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky), and gently knead 4 or 5 times.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Continue with king cake recipes that follow.
Notes
Tip: To prevent dough from spreading inward, place a ball of foil coated with baking spray with flour in the center of the dough circle before baking.
Cinnamon-Pecan King Cake
Ingredients
- King Cake Dough (recipe follows)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Garnish: yellow sugar, purple sugar, green sugar
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch King Cake Dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 17x16-inch rectangle.
- In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Brush melted butter over dough, and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Sprinkle with pecans, gently pressing into dough.
- Starting with one short side, roll up dough, and pinch seams to seal. Gently place on prepared pan, seam side down. Form a ring, and pinch ends together to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Uncover cake. Using kitchen scissors, make 7 (¼-inch) deep cuts in top of dough. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, lightly covering with foil during last 5 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to a serving platter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup boiling water, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spoon over cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars.
Rec’d a King’s Cake several years ago as a gift. Loved it.
Don’t forget to put the ‘baby” in !
Babies yummy
I tried this recipe two times, the second time because I thought I’d mismeasured something the first time. Second time, I follow the instructions to a “T,” with the same result. The dough was sticky and very thin. I had to let it rise double the time called for in both attempts, and even bought new yeast for the second time. Each time I turned the dough out on the pastry sheet, it was goopy and incredibly sticky. I even tried to knead-in I’m guesstimating another 3/4 to a full cup of flour after the rise with no change. There was no way I could roll this dough with a rolling pin and even if I could have stretch it to size, it was not going to roll up one you got the filling on. I recommend you avoid this recipe.