The King Cake and Mardi Gras
(Recipes too)

The King Cake, a tradition long associated with Carnival or Mardi Gras is usually oval shaped, with a texture more like french bread or doughnuts than a typical cake.
It is doughnut shaped but it size is the same as a regular rectangle birthday cake.

Often filled with delightful fruit, cream cheese, nuts, chocolate and more. Coated with either a sweet granulated color sugar coating or drizzled with a semi liquid icing concoction and some then times topped off with nuts. Colored in traditional Mardi Gras colors (Purple, Green and Gold).

The cake has a history dating to 12th century France.  where the cake would be baked on the eve of January 6 ( known as Epiphany)  to celebrate the visit to the Christ Child by the three Kings.

Brought to America by the French in the 18th century, where it remained associated with the Epiphany until the 19th century when it became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom.

January 6th is when the first cake of the season was served in New Orleans.

It was introduced to organizes Mardi Gras Associations and Krewes by the Krewe of Cosmo in the 1800's when they decided to present the cake to the ladies and the lady finding the golden bean would become the Queen of Cosmos for that Mardi Gras.

Today a  figure of baby is placed inside. Who ever the lucky person is to get the piece with the baby is said to have good fortune for the year, but is also responsible for bringing the next King Cake. 

In the U.S., cakes are brought to offices, school, meetings and parties, and the person finding the baby in their piece must bring a king cake the next day

King cakes are commonly severed from the twelfth night after Christmas and continues on until Mardi Gras day which is Fat Tuesday the day before Ash Wednesday.

King Cake Recipe-

 

"The King Cake is a New Orleans tradition that involves a pastry, a small plastic baby, and a party. The King Cake is baked and then a small plastic baby hidden inside, the person who gets the slice with baby in it has to host the next party. Make sure to buy a new small plastic baby so you can get the full effect from this cake! Sprinkle with purple, green and gold sugar, or decorate with whole pecans and candied cherries. Note: Be sure to tell everyone to inspect their piece of cake before they begin eating it. Original recipe yield: 2 cakes. Prep Time: 1 Hour Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 4 Hours 30 Minutes Servings: 16

 

INGREDIENTS:

·                     PASTRY:

·                     1 cup milk

·                     1/4 cup butter

·                     2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

·                     2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

·                     1/2 cup white sugar

·                     2 eggs

·                     1 1/2 teaspoons salt

·                     1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

·                     5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·                      

·                     FILLING:

·                     1 cup packed brown sugar

·                     1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

·                     2/3 cup chopped pecans

·                     1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·                     1/2 cup raisins

·                     1/2 cup melted butter

·                      

·                     FROSTING:

·                     1 cup confectioners' sugar

·                     1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1.                              Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2.                              When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3.                              Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.

4.                              Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

5.                              To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.

6.                              Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

7.                              Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water..