King Cake

Yields
2 individual King Cakes

From Executive Pastry Chef Maggie Scales of La Boulangerie and Cochon Butcher in New Orleans, Louisiana

Butter Brioche

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups bread flour

¼ cup sugar

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yeast

½ cup water

6 each eggs

2½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Cinnamon filling (recipe follows)

King Cake Icing (recipe follows)

Cinnamon Filling

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

King Cake Icing

2½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter Brioche

Place all ingredients except butter in stand mixer with paddle attachment, and mix on low speed for 5 minutes.
With mixer running, slowly add small amounts of butter until completely incorporated into dough.
Continue to mix in stand mixer using paddle attachment on low speed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
Increase mixer speed to medium speed and mix additional 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer to high speed and mix until dough is strong, shiny and clings to paddle, approximately 5 minutes.
Place dough in bowl sprayed with non-stick spray and wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
To prepare King Cakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Divide chilled dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Liberally apply filling.
Roll up each strip into a rope, pinching dough gently to keep it rolled up. Bring dough together into ring-shape, tucking one end into the other and pinching edges together.
Place each ring onto parchment lined sheet pan lined, and cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm spot, around 80 degrees, until doubled in size, around 2 to 3 hours.
Place in oven and bake until light golden in color, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.
Drizzle with icing, and decorate with festive sanding sugars. Serve.

Cinnamon Filling

Combine all ingredients in stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until butter has disappeared.

King Cake Icing

Place all ingredients in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.

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