Last year I attempted by first Kings Cake and like my friends over at Eat, Play, Love who are obsessed with finding the perfect Banana Bread Recipe, I am always searching for the ultimate Kings Cake. There aren’t as many recipes out there as you may think. John Besh as his, then there is Emeril of course, Lottie and Doff and other well known chefs and blogs. Sandra Lee even has a semi-homemade version. But seriously Sandra- nothing beats the real thing!
Well, my philosophy on recipes is this- the older the better and if it comes from a grandmother or church cookbook then it probably reigns over the others. I found a recipe after searching literally through every cookbook I have and lo and behold the second to last one from a small church in Louisiana had a recipe called Praline Baby Cake. At second glance I saw a small note at the bottom that read also known as Kings Cake. The page was beaming with a white light and the recipe was calling out to me! Kings Cake + Praline Filling= BEST KINGS CAKE EVER!
An older woman named Betty came up with this recipe and although I am pretty sure she is no longer with us as the cookbook was written forever and ever ago I know she would be proud! The cake is light, the texture is slightly firm on the outside and gooey and chewy on the inside. The dough couldn;t be easier to make and the icing is near perfection. All bets off, I think this is the ONE. I am not going to jinx myself, I will try again next year but I have a feeling this is the one I will keep coming back to time and time again.
If you are not a nut fan (GASP!) then by all means substitute the praline filling for something like brown sugar and cinnamon or cream cheese or just leave it out all together! Note: I left out the nuts in the filling because of my 2 yr old son but it still tastes like praline and by all means include the nuts for your family if everyone likes them!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup HOT WATER
- 1 pkg Active Dry yeast
- 2 TBSP Sugar
- 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
- 4 TBSP Butter
- 4 TBSP Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Skim Milk
- 3 1/2 - 4 cup Flour (plus extra for kneading)
- 2 large Eggs, slightly beaten, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- Filling
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Icing
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 TBSP heavy cream
Directions
- Place yeast, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine. Be sure that water is between 105 and 110 degrees F and pour it over mixture. Stir to combine and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Mix butter, cream cheese and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir and mash the cream cheese until all ingredients are smooth and blended together. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mixture should be cool to room temperature before using. Combine 3 cups of flour, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add eggs, yeast mixture and cooled butter mixture. Stir to combine. Add additional flour until mixture is tacky but not sticky (you may add as much a 1 full cup). Knead dough for about 10 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth. Form dough into a ball.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and roll it in butter on all sides. Cover with a towel and let dough rise for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and then roll it out on a large work surface to form a 20" x 14" rectangle. Brush the surface with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Praline Filling until it forms a paste. Press the paste gently all over the rectangle of dough.
- Starting on one edge, roll the dough into a 20" long tube. PInch the seams to seal the tube along the length. Twist the dough starting on one end and ending with pinching both ends together and shaping the dough into a circle. Place on baking sheet -cover with a towel and let dough rise for an additional 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough has risen, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cake has a hollow sound when you thump it. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- To make colored sugars, place 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in each of three sealable plastic bags (or containers). Add 12 drops of yellow food coloring in one bag. Seal the bag and shake vigorously to evenly color the sugar, being sure to break up any clumps with your fingers. Repeat the process with a second bag using 12 drops of green food coloring. With the last bag, combine 10 drops of red and 6 drops of blue food coloring to create purple. Set sugars aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.Using a pastry brush, drizzle and liberally brush the icing on all sides of the cake. Use all of the icing, even though some with drip onto the parchment. Immediately sprinkle sugars over icing in alternating rows of green, yellow and purple.
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Love your colored sugars, such a colorful presentation. Sounds like a cake I must make.
So festive.. looks amazing!! I know I would love the filling.
I definitely want to try and make a king cake version this weekend. I just love the colors!
I am definitely going to try this — but, why is it called cake — this seems like a bread recipe. Did you ever research that? Just curious… Could this be what Marie Antoinette was talking about — and her remark was mis-translated? Hmmmmmm. Maybe, she really meant, “Let them eat bread!” Just curious. COme visit when you can.
How beautiful is this?? I’ve never made a king cake but maybe this is the year for it. I’m inspired.
This is my kind of King Cake! Praline and cream cheese filled. Love how you decorated too. Fabulous job—perfect look.
Oh wow, this looks SO good! We love praline and we love nuts so I know this will be a hit with my family. I’ve always wanted to make a Kings Cake and I hope to try your recipe soon. (And I agree, the older the recipe, the better in most cases. I’m a huge fan of old family recipes and old cookbooks!)
hi jessica, i didnt see your posting for a few days and i suspected too you were busy with your 2 kids. wow, this looks spectacular! not only the coloured sugar is pretty, the texture of the bread is looking good too! does this cake associate with a kind of celebration day? i think i’ve seen it or read it somewhere that it’s a kind of celebration cake.
This is the best sounding king’s cake I’ve ever seen. Praline filling? YUM! Way to go. I love older cookbooks like that!
I can’t stand Sandra….This looks just perfectly! Love all of the colorful sprinkles. I’ve never had kings cake
I’ve never tried an yeast cake, sounds good. Old recipes giving modern recipes a good run for the money.
Oh yum!! I got so excited to see this! I love these cakes and I’m baking mine this weekend to post next!! Yours looks gorgeous and so light! Don’t you just love those crazy colors?!! They scream party!!!
I think you have found the one. Sounds great.
You had me at Praline, Jessica. Such a festive looking cake. I will have to make it for my nephew who is going down to New Orleans tomorrow…
This turned out wonderfully! I would make a joke about finding the baby, but I’d be too late!
this is absolutely beautiful! Is it terrible to say that I’ve never had a Kings Cake? I’m from the North! But you are inspiring me to go ahead and make one now…
You had me at gooey and chewy….ahahaha… this is beautiful!!! Thanks for the encouraging word on my blog! I so appreciate them!! <3
I love these cakes, thought I’ve never attempted to make one. I’ll have to use your recipe if I ever do. Looks delicious!!
What a beautiful, festive cake! I’ve never had a Kings Cake but I would love to try it after seeing your beautiful result. Thanks for sharing! You have a great blog.
Wow, does this look good and beautiful! Trust me, I would use the nut filing, yum.
Oh my drool drool!!I just want a bite right now!So delicious
So glad you did a take two because you obviously got it RIGHT!
It looks fabulous! Sandra Lee kind of cracks me up. She seems nice and all, but kind of plastic-y. I am always amazed that there is a whole cooking show devoted to NOT making things from scratch when we all know that from scratch means less additives. Hmmm?
The colour, the cinnamon and cream cheese got me hook in! YUM!
Hi Jessica! Beautiful Kings Cake! Well to tell you the truth, I did not know about Kings Cake until your post. I love the colorful sugar. I learned about Mardi Gras from my children when their school talked about it in their preschool several years ago (I know, sometimes kids know more than me!). Very lovely cake and so festive!
This looks amazing! What a great idea. Love all of the colors!!
ohmygoodness! King Cake and Pralines all wrapped up in one. That is fantastic! Between your wonderful cake and Joanne’s dessert of the day, I feel my diet flowing right out of the window this weekend. Yum!
That’s so beautiful, Jessica! Hope to try it one of these days!
I’ve always wanted to try the King cakes but never really did. I definitely have to taste this once in my lifetime. And if you made it.. it must be delicious
what a beautiful presentation and with lovely colors!
The praline filling sounds fabulous. I made a wonderful braided cinnamon sugar king cake last year. So fun. I’ll have to try your luscious version.
I’ve never made this before… actually, I’ve never even had this before. I need to fix that!
Looks delicious, exactly what my family would enjoy (and I can’t imagine not being a nut fan). I pinned it to try out.
I’ve never made a King’s Cake, but when I do, this will be my recipe. I think I’ve stayed away because I’ve always thought it was more bread than cake, but your version fixes all that!
What gorgeous colors
Mardi Gras colors are so pretty 
I have never made (or eaten) Kings Cake, but it looks and sounds great! Must try it sometime soon! Thanks for sharing 
This sounds delicious!! We’re having a mardi gras at my school this week for International Club, and if I didn’t have a million other things going on this week I’d totally make this for it! I’m saving the recipe though so maybe one day I can make it for my students!
Church cookbooks are my favorite I prefer them over any. They do not make them often anymore.
This looks AMAZE and praline filling oh this has to be good. I will have to save this one a make it next year,
OMG!!!
Jessica this look amazingly good my friend!!!
I am sure praline filling will be just perfect here.
Beautiful!!!! and yes I am sure BETTY will be so so proud
B/W I remember my kids getting P.Trained, No Fun ….. LOL
I didn’t know this cake existed! What hv I missed out? The colours look amazing too…and praline filling? yum!
PRALINE FILLING?!?!? This CERTAINLY takes the cake. Pun definitely intended.
i remember that post from last year… and that you weren’t fully satisfied. i totally agree with you in regards to the ‘older the recipe, the better’- oh, and grandmother’s recipes just cannot be beat. they contain so much wisdom through trial & error, and they do everything with so much time and care- not rushed and cutting corners, like we can be today.
so happy you may have found THE ONE!!! (looks and sounds deeeeelicious!!)
p.s. just found and re-read your post from last year… YAY for creating the perfect purple this time!!
[...] are many versions of the recipe; Jessica at Kitchenbelleicious posted her second version just the other day. This is made as a brioche dough with a filling of [...]
So much fun! Every year I say I’m going to make one – and then I don’t – ha! Your pics have inspired me! My kids would go to town with all of those sprinkles!!
Thank you so much for the shout-out Jessica! And what a fun cake. Mr. N is sitting with me right now and he wants to make this cake. I’m terrified of baking cakes…but maybe we’ll give this one a try. It sounds delicious and how much fun are those colors!
Ah, I saw another one of these on another blog – I think they mentioned you as being their sauce for inspiration – I can see why
This looks fantastic… so colourful and the inside looks just awesome!
Oh. My. God. This is beautiful!!! I agree with you, nothing beats homemade cake. Great for Mardi Gras!!
I am SO impressed by you!
I believe in old recipes too! They’re the best. Your King cake is gorgeous! I’m regretting my decision not to make one this year.
I was tempted to try a King’s cake this year, but didn’t see a great recipe. Yours will now be my go-to recipe…it looks fabulous!!!
Looks wonderful! Love the moist and soft looking texture! I have heard and seen so many Mardi Gras Kings Cake online that I am ever so curious now! Looks like you have found a keeper recipe! Have a lovely day!
Completely agree with you about older recipes Jessica. Great job on the King’s Cake.
Looks incredibly impressive to me!
This looks so fun with the bright colors! I’ve never tried king cake! The filling sounds amazing….prailine filling! Yum!
wow look at all those colours!! if i were a kid I’d be in heaven right now!
Thanks for making an ex-pat home sick in a good way! I invite you to drop by http://contemporarymusings.wordpress.com and see my latest posting “Mardi Gras – A Local’s View”. I think that you will enjoy it. BTW, Happy Mardi gras. J.
I just made one of these yesterday for the very first time. The recipe I had called for raisins, do you know if that is traditional? I have come to the conclusion that these are a ‘goddy’ coffee cake or a pimped out coffee cake
I really didn’t like applying the coarse sugar, I should have used gloves. Hind sight is always 20/20, right?! HAPPY FAT TUESDAY!!
Your King’s cake is gorgeous and the praline filling is a brilliant idea!
Beautiful! It seems like you have a wonderful quest ahead of you, and I’m curious as to which recipe you find to be the best! I love King Cake
I made this yesterday, OMG ! It is soooo good ! This was my first King cake ,but not my last! Thank You for a wonderful recipe!
This looks so good! I really wanted to make Kings Cake in doughnut form so I could cover both Mardi Gras and Fasnacht Day but I didn’t have enough time
Did you hide anything in the cake?
I love praline and the idea of a praline stuffed cakes is irresistable!
Great recipe! I will definitely be making this recipe next year – the one I used was a complete disaster. I also have a year to find the baby to put inside that I cannot seem to find anywhere! xo
I love those old church cookbooks- you know the recipes are tried and true! I’ve never seen a King’s cake with a praline filling. Definitely saving for next year!