Linda Fisher's King Cake with Streusel Filling and Caramel Icing

Posted by Keplerkid at recipegoldmine.com on 1/27/2002 9:34 pm

I haven't made this cake but it sounds good. I live in Louisiana and can buy good King Cakes. I've never known anyone to make one because all bakeries and even grocery stores have good ones. This one is from The Times-Picaynue website, www.nola.com. I'm sure they have others in their archives, if you are interested. King Arthur Flour also sells a King Cake kit by mail.

Makes 1 large cake or about 40 servings

2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
6 tablespoons margarine (or butter or low-fat spread),
    plus 1/2 cup chilled margarine cut into small cubes, divided
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
About 6 3/4 cups flour, divided
3 eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus oil for mixing bowl
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Yellow, green and purple (or red and blue to make purple) food coloring
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
King cake baby or bean to insert in cake, optional

Dissolve yeast in warm water; let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt six tablespoons margarine and one-half cup white sugar in milk over low heat; let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, sift salt with six scant cups flour. Make a well in center and add eggs, milk mixture and yeast. With a wooden spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until they form a dough; if batter-like, thicken with one-fourth to one-half cup more flour. Knead dough in bowl 10 to 15 minutes. Form into a ball and grease surface with one tablespoon oil. Place in a large lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a bowl, combine one-half cup white sugar, one-half cup brown sugar, two tablespoons flour and cinnamon. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut in one-half cup cold margarine until mixture looks like wet sand; set aside.

Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface; roll out to an 18 x 10-inch rectangle. Parallel to each 18-inch side, about one inch from edge, sprinkle a two-inch band of filling, using it all. Roll up each 18-inch side until the two rolls meet in center. With a knife, cut lengthwise between rolls to form two ropes. To seal in filling, pinch dough shut along lengthwise edges. With ropes parallel, start at the center and work outward to make one long rope by folding the ropes over one another. Shape rope into roughly an 18-inch x 12-inch oval; tuck one open end inside the other. Carefully transfer oval to a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet, lifting dough with one hand at tucked ends and the other on opposite side of oval; reshape if needed. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, turning pan after 10 minutes.

Let cool while making colored sugar and icing. For colored sugar, place one-third cup white sugar in each of three bowls. To one bowl, add three drops or more food coloring to achieve desired color; mix well. Repeat for green and purple sugar. For icing, bring to boil evaporated milk with two tablespoons brown sugar; stir often. Remove from heat. Gradually add confectioners sugar; mix until smooth and add vanilla extract. Working on a small section at a time, spread icing over part of cake and decorate that part with colored sugars. If using, hide baby or bean in bottom of cake.