Mardi Gras King Cake

(from kintyre’s recipe box)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Categories: dessert, holiday

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water (110-115 degrees)
  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • small plastic doll, coil, pecan, or bean
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • decorating sugar
  • food coloring

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  2. In a small bowl, soften yeast in lukewarm water.

  3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest.

  4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture, milk, eggs, and egg yolks; mix thoroughly.

  5. Beat in 1/2 cup butter.

  6. Sprinkle flour on a clean, flat surface.

  7. Place dough on floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with additional flour if necessary.

  8. Coat the inside of a large bowl with 1 tablespoon butter.

  9. Set ball of kneaded dough in bowl and turn it to coat with butter; loosely cover bowl and set aside for 1 1/2 hours or until dough doubles in size.

  10. Brush a baking sheet with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

  11. Return dough to floured surface and punch down.

  12. Shape into a long roll (about 14 inches) and form a circle.

  13. Carefully place on baking sheet.

  14. Hide doll, coin, pecan, or bean in cake for your guests to find.

  15. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

  16. Cool on wire rack.

  17. In a medium bowl, mix icing ingredients; stir until smooth.

  18. Drizzle on cooled cake.

  19. In separate bowls, color decorating sugar with food coloring – yellow for gold (represents power), green (faith) and mix red and blue to make purple (justice). Sprinkle in alternating stripes over cake.

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