This Mardi Gras, laissez le bon temps rouler with our sweet grilled take on a traditional King Cake. We’ve used a simple sugar-cinnamon filling, with a little bourbon for an added kick, but you can experiment with various fillings from pecans to candied cherries. Don’t forget that tradition holds whoever gets the plastic baby in their slice becomes king or queen for the day… and then must make the cake next year!
Makes: 1 cake
CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 package quick rise yeast
FILLING INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/8 cup bourbon
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
DECORATING INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Green, purple and yellow sugar
- 1 mini plastic baby, available at party or Mardi Gras stores
INSTRUCTIONS
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine 2 cups flour and yeast packet.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, sugar and salt, stirring until sugar has completely dissolved and milk is approximately 125 degrees.
- With the mixer on low, add the liquid mixture and eggs one at a time to the flour mixture; continue to mix until a rough dough is formed.
- Switch to using dough hook attachment, and slowly incorporate the remaining flour.
- Add the softened butter in small pieces as you continue to mix on low, about 10 minutes. Hint: at this point, if your dough is too sticky, add a little flour; if it’s too dry, add a little water.
- On a lightly-floured surface, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl; cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- To make filling, in a small saucepan over low heat combine all ingredients, stirring until well mixed.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 20x8 inches, and have the long edge face you. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a little space around the edges.Fold the top edge to the middle, then the bottom edge just over the top edge, to form a seam near the middle; pinch to seal. Flip the dough seam-side down, then tuck one end of the roll into the other to form a ring.
- Place dough ring in a large cast iron skillet. Cover with plastic and allow to rise 1 hour.
- To bake, place a fire brick on the grate and heat grill to high. Place skillet on top of fire brick, reduce heat to medium and bake with the lid closed for about 20 minutes. Then turn heat down to medium-low and bake with the lid closed for 20 more minutes.
- Remove skillet from grill, then remove cake from skillet and allow to completely cool.
- To make glaze, mix confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla, then spoon over cake.
- Immediately decorate with sugar, alternating colors around the cake.
- Pick a random spot underneath the cake, cut a small opening and place the plastic baby.