The Best Cream Cheese King Cake
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Description
If you're looking for a new king cake recipe to celebrate Mardi Gras, you must try this one. If you're a little intimated, don't be. Follow this recipe and don't forget to put the baby in!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
- 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 ¾ cups bread flour, divided
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted, divided
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, or more as needed
- purple, green, and gold/yellow sparkling sugars
Directions
- 1. Combine sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let mixture cool to 100 to 110 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
- 2. Stir together water, yeast, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand for 5 minutes.
- 3. Combine sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; gradually add 4 more cups of flour, beating until dough comes together.
- 4. Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with 1/4 cup of the flour. Knead, gradually adding remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Dough should be tacky but release easily from surface.
- 5. Place dough in a well greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- 6. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Beat cream cheese, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg.
- 7. Gently punch dough down; divide in half. Roll 1 portion out into a 22x12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Keep the other portion covered. Spread 1/2 of the filling over rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Carefully roll up, starting from a long edge.
- 8. Place roll, seam-side down, on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form a ring. Moisten ends with water; pinch together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, filling, and pecans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- 9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover dough rings.
- 10. Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are a deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire racks, about 1 1/2 hours.
- 11. Stir confectioners' sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract together to make the glaze. Stir in 3 tablespoons milk. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until pourable but still opaque. Pour evenly over cakes. Sprinkle with sparkling sugars, alternating colors to form bands.
Nutrition Facts
serving: 2 king cakes
calories: 484.7 kcal
carbohydrates: 63 g
protein: 9.1 g
saturated fat: 11.1 g
cholesterol: 73.2 mg
sodium: 236.1 mg
fiber: 1.8 g
sugar: 30.9 g
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