King Cake

By millefiorifavoriti

Traditionally offered in New Orleans from Jan 6 until "Fat Tuesday," and the Mardi Gras celebration, King Cake is really more like a sweet bread in texture.
A figure of a baby is buried in the cake, and the person who is served the slice with the baby has good luck for the year and has to supply the next King Cake!
There are many different recipes available, this one has a cinnamon sugar filling.

Ingredients

• DOUGH:
• Butter (for the bowl)
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• Extra flour (for sprinkling)
• FILLING:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 small plastic baby figurine or you can substitute with a red bean
• FROSTING:
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• Purple, green, and yellow paste food coloring or sprinkles

Preparation

Step 1

DOUGH:

1. Butter a large bowl.
2. In another large warm bowl, pour the water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir until it dissolves. Stir in the milk, butter, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt. (The butter will not blend in completely.)
3. Add 1 cup of the flour and blend well. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
4. Lightly flour a work surface. Turn the dough out and knead it for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if the dough sticks.
5. Transfer to the buttered bowl and turn the dough so it is buttered all over. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.


FILLING:

1. Have on hand a large rimmed baking sheet. Butter the sheet.
Punch down the dough. Lightly flour the work surface and with a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 30-by-9-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Beginning at the long end, roll it up tightly, as for a jelly roll. Pinch the long seam to seal the roll. Form the roll into a ring and join the ends, pinching them together; keep the cut sides up. Transfer the ring to the baking sheet.
3. If using a red bean or pecan half, push it into the underside of the dough to hide it. (A baby charm will go in after baking.) Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 to 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

To Bake:
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Bake the ring for 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove the cake from the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool. (If using a plastic baby figurine, push it into the underside of the cake.)



FROSTING:
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, almond extract, and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Stir until smooth, adding more of the remaining 1 tablespoon milk to make a smooth, pourable frosting.
Divide the frosting among 3 small bowls. Tint 1 mixture purple, 1 green, and 1 yellow, stirring each well. Drizzle each color over the top of the cake in 3 separate places.
If using sprinkles leave the frosting white and drizzle it over the cake and then sprinkle bands of green, purple and yellow sprinkles on top.