Fleur De Lis King Cake Recipe

Warm milk and bloom yeast

Warm 1 cup of the milk to about 100–110°F (warm to the touch, not hot). In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar with the warmed milk and the instant yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy and bubbly, indicating the yeast is active.

Combine dry ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand), combine the flour, remaining granulated sugar, and salt. Mix briefly to distribute.

Add wet ingredients

Make a well in the flour, add 2 of the eggs (reserve 1 egg for egg wash), the foamy milk/yeast mixture, and start mixing on low. Once the dough starts to come together, add the softened 6 tbs butter a few pieces at a time and continue kneading (8–10 minutes in the mixer) until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky, and elastic. If kneading by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface ~10–12 minutes.

First rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and proof in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

While the dough is rising, make the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until evenly combined and the texture is spreadable.

Prepare to shape

When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. If you'd like fleur-de-lis cutouts for decoration, reserve about 1/3 cup of dough (or a tablespoon-sized piece) now and keep it covered while you shape the main cake.

Roll and fill

Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle roughly 16 x 12 inches and about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the cinnamon-brown sugar filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge.

Starting from the long side opposite the border, roll the dough tightly into a log (jelly-roll method). Pinch the seam to seal. Tuck the ends under so the roll has a neat finish.

Shape the king cake

Form the filled log into an oval ring, overlapping the two ends and pinching/sealing the seam. Gently tuck the seal under the ring so it isn't visible on top (this is where you can insert the plastic baby later — see the note below). Place the ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet or a prepared round cake pan, seam side down, about 12–14 inches in diameter.

Optional baby placement

If using the plastic baby, insert it into the underside seam of the ring so it will be hidden inside after baking (do not place the baby on the outside of the cake where it will be swallowed; it should be embedded so diners can find it when pulling the cake apart). If serving to groups with small children or immunocompromised people, consider offering the baby separately to place into the slice instead.

Second rise

Cover the shaped ring loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place until puffy, 30–45 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

When the ring has puffed, whisk the reserved large egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the entire top of the ring lightly with the egg wash.

If you reserved a small piece of dough for fleur-de-lis cutouts: roll that piece flat (about 1/8" thick) and cut small fleur-de-lis or decorative shapes using a small knife or a cookie cutter. Brush those cutouts with egg wash and place them on top of the ring for a fleur-de-lis motif before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven 22–28 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread reaches about 190°F (88°C). If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Remove the cake from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 20–30 minutes — warm but not piping hot is ideal for glazing so the glaze sets nicely.

Make the glaze while the cake cools: in a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons (0.19 cups) of the reserved milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Add more milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time if needed until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.

Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the center top of the cooled cake and use a spatula to gently encourage the glaze to run toward the edges but not completely cover the sides.

Immediately after glazing (while glaze is still wet), divide the top of the cake visually into three equal sections. Sprinkle purple sanding sugar over one third, green over the next third, and gold/yellow over the final third. If you added fleur-de-lis dough cutouts, sprinkle them as well. The colors are traditional Mardi Gras colors (purple = justice, green = faith, gold = power). Let the glaze set 10–15 minutes.

If you embedded a plastic baby in the seam, remind guests that the tradition is to find the baby in a slice — warn about the small object before serving. Alternatively, place the baby into a slice after cutting to avoid a choking hazard.