Purple & Gold King Cake Recipe
Make Purple & Gold King Cake Recipe in just 5h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Dough
Filling
Cream Cheese Filling (optional)
Glaze & Decoration
Assembly & Bake
Method
Dough
- 1
Warm milk and proof yeast
Warm the milk to lukewarm (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C). In a small bowl, stir the warm milk with 1 tsp of the granulated sugar and the yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast may be dead—start with fresh yeast.
- 2
Combine wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle), whisk together the melted butter, remaining granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. When the yeast mixture is foamy, add it to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- 3
Add dry ingredients and knead
Add about half the flour, the salt, and nutmeg; mix until incorporated. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes.
- 4
First rise
Lightly grease a large bowl with a bit of butter or oil, place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled — 1 to 1½ hours depending on room temperature.
- 5
Deflate and chill (optional)
Gently punch the dough down to release gas. For easier handling and cleaner slicing when assembling, you can refrigerate the dough, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If short on time, proceed directly to rolling.
Filling
- 6
Make the cinnamon-sugar filling
While the dough is rising (or during the chill), prepare the filling: in a medium bowl beat the softened butter until smooth, then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined and spreadable. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside at room temperature so it’s easy to spread.
Cream Cheese Filling (optional)
- 7
Prepare cream cheese filling
If using the optional cream cheese filling, beat the room-temperature cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar, the egg, and vanilla. Beat until homogenous and smooth. Cover and chill briefly if too loose — it should be pipeable but not runny.
Assembly & Bake
- 8
Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease the parchment or baking sheet.
- 9
Roll out the dough
On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a rectangle about 18x12 inches (45x30 cm) and roughly 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Keep edges even for a neat roll.
- 10
Spread fillings
Spread an even layer of the cinnamon-sugar butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the long edge farthest from you. If using cream cheese filling, either spread a thinner layer of cream cheese filling first (closer to the edge where you’ll start rolling) or pipe the cream cheese in a narrow strip down the center before rolling — keep it modest so the roll seals cleanly.
- 11
Roll into tube and shape
Starting from the long edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough into a long log, sealing the seam by pinching the dough edges together. Transfer the log seam-side down and shape into a ring by bringing the ends together and pinching to seal. Place the ring on the prepared baking sheet.
- 12
Second rise
Cover the ring loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until puffy — about 30–45 minutes. It should be noticeably expanded but not doubled.
- 13
Egg wash
Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash. Brush the top of the risen ring gently with the egg wash for color and shine.
- 14
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven 25–30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the dough (not touching filling) reads about 190–200°F (88–93°C). If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 8–10 minutes.
- 15
Cool
Remove the king cake to a wire rack and let cool 20–30 minutes before glazing. Cooling slightly helps the glaze adhere without melting away the sugar decorations.
Glaze & Decoration
- 16
Make the glaze
In a medium bowl whisk the powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable but not too thin. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time if needed. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon.
- 17
Glaze the cake
Drizzle or spread the glaze over the slightly warm (not hot) king cake so it sticks but does not run off completely. Work quickly — the glaze sets as it cools.
- 18
Apply sanding sugars
Immediately after glazing, sprinkle the purple and gold sanding sugars in alternating sections over the top in the traditional Mardi Gras pattern (purple, gold, and green if using). To create distinct color blocks, make three strips radiating from the center or divide the ring into six segments, applying each color in turn. Press lightly so the sanding sugar adheres.
- 19
Optional - hide the plastic baby
If you are using a plastic king cake baby, hide it in the cake before cutting by inserting it into the underside of the ring or place it in a slice when serving. (If you prefer, serve the baby on the side.) Note: some prefer to bake the baby in a small foil packet and insert after cooling.)
- 20
Serve
Let the glaze set 10–15 minutes, then slice and serve. King cake is best the day of baking but keeps covered at room temperature up to 2 days; warm gently before serving if desired.
