Traditional New Orleans king cake is the best dessert to take on a picnic. It will surely leave your taste buds begging for more! Moreover, you can take New Orleans king cake as your breakfast if you are a light eater like me.
What’s next? The fantastic recipe!
Prep time: 40 minutes Bake time: 30 minutes Servings: 1 cake (12 pieces)
Ingredients
For The Glaze:
2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice
1-1/2 confectioners’ sugar
A blend of green, yellow and purple sugars
2-3 teaspoons of water
Other Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon of finely ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of warm water
1-1/4 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of warm milk
3/4 cup of divided sugars
Two packets of active dry yeast
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (grated)
1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Two large eggs at room temperature (egg yolk)
One large beaten egg
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Directions
Get a medium-sized bowl ready and pour some warm water. Dissolve some dry yeast in the warm water. Then, add the milk, salt, sugar, butter, and all-purpose flour.
Add the egg yolks and lemon zest. Stir well until you obtain a fluffy, smooth dough.
On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 8 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with a lid and leave it to rise for about 1 hour. By that time, the dough would have doubled in size.
Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface. Place the risen dough on this floured surface. Then, punch it to cut back on the height.
Roll the dough on a 16×10 inches rectangle. Mix the remaining sugar with the cinnamon powder. Sprinkle the mixture within the edges of the dough.
Go by the jelly-roll style. Pinch each seam to seal—start with a long side. Moreso, place the seam side on a greased baking sheet.
Pinch each edge of the seam side together to form a ring. Then, brush with egg. Cover and leave it to rise for some minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for about 25 minutes until it turns golden brown.
Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the glaze blend on the cakes. Your traditional New Orleans king cake is ready. Enjoy!
Fun Facts About Traditional New Orleans Cake
- In New Orleans, Americans eat King cakes before or after a carnival.
- King cakes symbolize the unity of faiths. Moreover, this accounts for the cake’s oval shape.
- A small, plastic baby is hidden in each New Orleans King cake to symbolize the baby, Jesus. They use these king cakes to signify the Epiphany.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 321 kcal, Cholesterol 73 mg, Protein 5 g, Carbohydrates 55 g, Saturated fat 5 g, Unsaturated fat 4g, Sugars 28 g, Sodium 313 mg, Fiber 1 g