Recipes

King Cake Cinnamon Rolls

By: The Local Palate
King cake cinnamon rolls

Embrace the festivities of Mardi Gras from afar with these king cake cinnamon rolls from Birdy’s in New Orleans.

recipe heading-plus-icon

yields

Makes 24 cinnamon rolls

    For the dough base
  • 2 cups milk
  • ⅔ cup high gluten flour
  • For the dough
  • 4 cups milk
  • 4 cups high-gluten flour
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 teaspoons yeast
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • For the filling
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup high gluten flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1½ cups brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • For the Cream Cheese Frosting
  • ¼ pound cream cheese
  • 14 tablespoons softened butter
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the Mardi Gras sugar
  • Purple, green & gold (or yellow) food coloring
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
steps

Make the dough base

  1. Whisk milk & flour in a medium pot over heat until it is thick like a Roux.
  2. Use a rubber spatula to scrape roux into a large mixer.

Make the dough

  1. Add each ingredient individually into the mixing bowl on top of the Roux.
  2. Mix with the dough hook attachment on speed 1 until incorporated.
  3. Increase to speed 2 and mix until smooth dough, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Prepare a medium or large mixing bowl with pan spray. Use a bowl scraper to scoop dough down into a ball. Wrap in plastic and leave to proof for 30 minutes.

Make the filling

  1. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Melt butter; add to bowl it with vanilla. Use a gloved hand to combine; set aside.

Make the cream cheese frosting

  1. Gather all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine with hand mixer.

Make the Mardi Gras sugar

  1. Divide sugar evenly between three containers.
  2. Add two drops of each food coloring into one container & shake well to combine.

Shape and bake

  1. Generously flour work surface. Turn out the dough and flour the top.
  2. Use a rolling pin to roll into a large rectangle, approximately 3’ x 1’.
  3. Spread out filling by hand leaving a couple of inches bare at the top of the rectangle.
  4. Begin rolling the bottom of the rectangle onto itself the long way. Pull tight between each roll like rolling a sleeping bag.
  5. Cut into 24 even-sized rolls; arrange on two large parchment-lined sheet pans.
  6. Spray tops of rolls with pan spray and wrap loosely in plastic wrap to proof for up to one hour.
  7. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Place rack to cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.
  8. Frost generously with cinnamon roll frosting smearing around in a circular motion to coat.
  9. Plate 24 cinnamon rolls on a platter and decorate with Mardi Gras colored sugar in the desired pattern.

Related Recipes

Key Ingredient

King Cake

For the cake: Whisk yeast with warm milk in bowl of a stand mixer [...]

Key Ingredient

New Orleans-Style Beignets

Transport yourself to the center of the French quarter in New Orleans with powdered [...]

Leave a Reply

Be the first to comment.


The Wine Lover Issue

Subscribe

1 year for only $24.99

1 year
for only $24.99

Subscribe and Save 72%!

Suscribe Now
The Travel Issue