King Cake
Yesterday’s festivities marked my first attempt at a King Cake. The King Cake and Mardi Gras traditions at large are foreign to many of my Georgetown friends, so I took it upon myself to remedy that. It was about as last minute as King Cake preparation could be given the waitingwaitingwaiting required and sacrifices were made (I didn’t have a plastic baby Jesus, so used a coin instead), but all things considered it was pretty delicious and most importantly festive and fun!
I know the occasion has passed, but make note for next year.
1 package yeast
1/4 c warm water
2 tbs milk, scalded and cooled
4 c flour (I used white wheat flour)
2 sticks butter
3/4 c sugar
unscientific splashes of vanilla and dashes of cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
extra butter
Icing: 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, food coloring
Dissolve yeast in warm water, add milk and 1/2 c flour.
Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, butter in a bowl.
Add the yeast mixture.
Add 2 1/2 c flour.
Mix up, place in a greased bowl, and then oil with butter. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 3-ish hours until the dough doubles in size.
Knead in 1 additional cup of flour.
Roll the dough into a rope and form into a circle on a baking sheet—a few drops of water helps bind the two ends.
Cover with a damp cloth and let rest/rise for one more hour.
Bake at 325ºF for about 40 minutes.
Let cool and ice with the blended mixture of the aforementioned icing ingredients.
(JL)
