King Cake with Cinnamon Swirl (Printable)

Festive brioche cake featuring rich cinnamon swirl and creamy vanilla icing, traditionally served during Mardi Gras celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 packet active dry yeast
04 - ¾ cup whole milk, warm
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling

10 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

→ Icing

13 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
15 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars for decoration

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add remaining sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest to the yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.
03 - Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand or with a mixer for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1–1.5 hours.
05 - Mix softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a paste. Set aside.
06 - Punch down the risen dough and roll out on a floured surface into a 10 by 20-inch rectangle.
07 - Spread cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
08 - Roll up the dough tightly from the long side. Pinch the seam firmly to seal.
09 - Shape the rolled dough into a ring and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pinch ends together to seal the circle.
10 - Cover loosely and let rise again for 45–60 minutes, until puffy.
11 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown.
12 - Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before icing.
13 - Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to reach a thick drizzling consistency.
14 - Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle with colored sugars in sections to create a festive appearance.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttery, tender brioche base creates that perfect pull-apart texture that store-bought versions never quite achieve.
  • Making your own King Cake lets you control the cinnamon swirl ratio, which is always disappointingly skimpy in the packaged versions.
02 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, warm your oven to its lowest setting, then turn it off and place your covered dough inside with the door cracked - my dough refused to rise until I discovered this trick.
  • The plastic baby or dried bean should always be pushed into the bottom of the cake after baking, never before, to avoid any melting disasters I learned about the hard way.
03 -
  • For the most even rise, place a small heatproof ramekin in the center of your ring before the second rise and baking to maintain the perfect circle shape.
  • Brush the dough with a beaten egg white right before baking for an extra glossy, golden crust that makes your colored sugars pop even more.

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