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New Orleans king cake

Braided cinnamon brioche ring in purple, green and gold sugar

From Twelfth Night on 6 January until Mardi Gras, every office, school and party in New Orleans has a king cake: a ring of soft, cinnamon-swirled brioche, glazed and covered in sugar in the Carnival colours of purple, green and gold. A small trinket or bean is hidden inside, and whoever finds it buys the next cake. Chef's tip: push the trinket in from underneath after baking, and warn your guests, so nobody bites on it.
Total time
80 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
14
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Ingredients

Serves14

For the dough

For the filling

To finish

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Fresh ingredients (6)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Mix the ¾ cup milk, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz sugar, 2 eggs, 2 ⅞ oz butter, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp salt, then add the 16 oz plain flour and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough is soft.

    12 min
  2. Step 2: Cover and rise in a warm place for 1½ hours, until doubled.

    90 min
  3. Step 3: Beat the 2 ⅛ oz butter, 3 ½ oz soft brown sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon together. Roll the dough into a 30 × 50 cm rectangle, spread with the filling and roll up from the long side.

    10 min
  4. Step 4: Cut the roll in half lengthways, twist the two strands together with the cut sides up, and bring the ends together into a ring on a lined tray. Cover and rise 45 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).

    50 min
  5. Step 5: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped. A common mistake is underbaking, which leaves the inside of the twist doughy. Cool completely, then push the 1 dried bean or small trinket in from underneath.

    60 min
  6. Step 6: Mix the 7 oz icing sugar and 3 tbsp milk to a thick glaze and spoon over the ring. While wet, sprinkle bands of the 6 tbsp purple, green and yellow coloured sugar in purple, green and gold.

    8 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
330 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
50 g
Fat
12 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does new Orleans king cake take?
About 80 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of milk?
Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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