Mardi Gras King Cake with Pecan Praline Filling

By cdboss

Ingredients

• 1 envelope active yeast
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Egg wash (1 beaten egg with couple tablespoons of water)
• Yellow, green and purple colored sugars, recipe below
• Praline Filling, recipe below
• Sugar Glaze, recipe below
• 1 plastic baby and a variety of Mardi Gras trinkets

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 75mins
Cooking time 105mins
Adapted from deepsouthdish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, adding a pinch of sugar. Let stand about 5 minutes or until it gets foamy. In a separate bowl, mix the salt and sugar with the milk until dissolved. Add the yeast.

Sift the flour and cinnamon together and add to a mixer bowl. Using a dough hook, add in yeast and then the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Knead on low for about 10 minutes or until it forms into a smooth dough, adding additional flour if needed. Add in the pieces of butter and mix just until they are incorporated. You want there to be chunks of butter in the dough.

Turn out into a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until doubled. Punch it down, cover well and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, prepare the praline filling. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a rectangle about 6 inches wide and 18 inches in length. Spread the filling leaving about an inch of the edge free. Fold the dough over, press the edges and then roll up very tight. Bring the ends together to form a circle with the seam side down, tucking one end into the other. Transfer the paper to a baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm, draft free area to rise about an hour or until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the cake generously with the egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside to cool. Tuck the baby into a spot on the bottom of the cake once cooled.

Drizzle icing over the top of the cake and then sprinkle one section of the cake with the green sugar, another with yellow and the last with the purple. Place cake onto a serving platter and if desired, decorate the center and the platter with a variety of Mardi Gras trinkets - doubloons and beads.

Colored Sugars

3 small lidded jars
1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar
Green, yellow, red and blue food coloring

Divide the sugar evenly between the three jars. Add 2 drops of green in one jar, 2 drops of yellow in another and 2 drops each of red and blue to form purple in the last jar. Put the lids on and shake until the color is well blended, using additional food coloring for richer colors.

Sugar Glaze

1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice -OR-
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Note: This is meant for a very light coating of glaze. If you want thicker glaze just double or triple the recipe.

Praline Filling

1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Combine ingredients.