California-Inspired King Cake Recipe
If the idea of making a New Orleans-inspired king cake feels intimidating, just think of this a giant cinnamon roll…filled with cream cheese and pecans and California prunes (naturally), then rolled into one large circle instead of sliced into individual portions before being baked until deep golden brown and topped with a whipped mascarpone spread.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Food processor optional
Ingredients
King Cake Dough
- 1 ¼- oz package active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 TBSP light brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp orange blossom water
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter softened
Cream Cheese & Prune Filling
- 1 8- oz cream cheese
- 1 cup California prune puree
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 TBSP cane syrup or substitute with maple syrup
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 orange zested
- ¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Mascarpone Topping
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 8- oz mascarpone cheese
- green, purple, and gold/yellow sanding sugars for garnish
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, quickly whisk together the yeast and ½ tsp of the sugar, with ¼ cup of water heated to 115°F (45°C). Once combined, let sit until foaming, about 10 minutes. To the bowl, and the remaining sugar, whole milk, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, egg, and egg yolk.
- Using a bread hook attachment, beat the mixture on low speed for 1 minute to combine everything. With the mixer off, sift in the flour and salt, then turn the mixer to high speed and knead the dough for 4 minutes. Add the butter in large chunks, then continue kneading another 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it still feels sticky, add additional flour, 1 TBSP at a time, until it pulls cleanly from the bowl.
- Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm spot in the kitchen until doubled in size, 1 ½-2 hours.
Step 2: Make the Cream Cheese & Prune Filling
- In a food processor or large bowl, combine the cream cheese, California prune puree, dark brown sugar, cane syrup, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest. Pulse or whisk until combined, then set aside, along with the chopped pecans.
Step 3: Form the Cake
- Punch down the dough, peel it from the bowl, and turn it out onto a heavily-floured surface. Flour a rolling pin and spread the dough into a large rectangle, roughly 18-20 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and ¼-inch thick throughout. Use an offset spatula to spread the prune filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin along the longer edges. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the filling.
- Starting with the long edge closest to you, gently roll the dough away from you, like you’re creating one long cinnamon roll. Once the roll is formed, bring the ends together to form a circle, overlapping one end over the other to create a seal. (It’s okay if this doesn’t look perfect!). Transfer the formed cake to a parchment-lined sheet tray, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 1 hour.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).Uncover the cake and bake until dark golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. If you worry it’s getting too much color, tent the cake with aluminum foil. For a precise bake, use a probe thermometer to ensure the inner dough cooks to 190°F (90°C).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Step 4: Mascarpone Topping
- Place the mixer bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. Once cold, add in the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks have formed, then gently fold into the mascarpone.
- Once the cake has cooled, dollop large spoonfuls of the whipped topping over the top and spread into a uniform layer. Decorate with the sanding sugars for a colorful finish, then serve!
Notes
1 King Cake serves 8-10, but New Orleans locals consider a cake 1 portion until you cut it!
Nutrition
Calories: 713kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 11gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 404mgPotassium: 356mgFiber: 5gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 1522IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 2mg