I made my final King Cake for this Mardi Gras Season today. I normally do not like fillings in my king cakes but today I decided to try a cream cheese filling. My friend Jana used my recipe to make a King Cake a couple weeks ago and she told me she add cream cheese with the cinnamon filling. After I told Keith about Jana putting Cream Cheese in the King Cake he asked if I could make one for him to bring to work. I found a cream cheese filling on Gourmet Girls that sounded good and easy. I decided that I did not want to just make one of the cakes with cream cheese because I would not get to try it. Well I am glad a made both cakes with cream cheese because it taste really good. I only put the cream cheese filling on one of the strips because I did not want the cake to have too much filling.
I posted the recipe again because I have made some other small changes.
I hope you enjoy!!!
HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!
Hoffman King Cake w/ optional Cream Cheese Filling
(Serves 10–12)
As
you knead the dough for this Mardi Gras cake, watch for it to begin to pull
away from the sides of the mixing bowl. If that doesn’t happen (because the
moisture content in flour fluctuates with the humidity), add a spoonful or two
more flour (For a whole recipe I used about ¼cup added one spoonful at a
time and I needed more for a half batch).
I
found that a half recipe is a better sized king cake for our family. I
have made the whole recipe and then split the dough in half after it has risen
and made two cakes one for us and one to give away.
For
the cake:
1
cup lukewarm milk, about 110°
1/2
cup granulated sugar
2
Tablespoons dry yeast
3
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1
cup melted butter
5
egg yolks, beaten
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
grated
fresh zest of one lemon (1 Tablespoon)
For cream cheese filling: (optional) I used half of the filling for each
cake
8
oz. cream cheese
(I used Neufchatel Cheese)
3
Tablespoons sugar
1
teaspoon lemon zest
1
teaspoon vanilla
For
cinnamon sugar filling: (make a batch for each cake)
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4
cup granulated sugar
1/4
cup brown sugar
For
the icing: (I make 1.5 batches for 2 cakes)
2
cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
2.5
tablespoon milk
1
teaspoon vanilla
Purple,
green, and gold decorative sugars (mix 1/8 cup of sugar with food coloring for each) (make before start icing the cake)
1
fève (fava bean) or plastic baby to hide in the cake after baking
1.
For the cake, pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated
sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, mixing until both the
sugar and the yeast have dissolved.
2.
Allow milk mixture to rest for about 10 minutes or until frothy, whisk in the
butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour and fold the dry
ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula.
3.
After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape
it into a large ball. If that doesn’t happen (because the moisture content in flour fluctuates with the humidity), add a spoonful or two more flour. For a whole recipe I used about ¼ cup added one spoonful at a time and I needed more for a half batch. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth
and elastic, about 15 minutes. (I use dough hook on mixer)
4.
Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a
draft-free place to let it proof, or rise, for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough
has doubled in volume. RISING TIP: Put covered dough in warm place (80° - 85°F)
5.
Make cinnamon sugar filling. (optional) Make cream cheese filling by
beating the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together with a mixer until fluffy
then set aside.
6.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Roll the
dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Cut dough into three long strips with a
pizza cutter. Spread cream cheese
filling on one strip of dough. Spread
the cinnamon sugar filling on
each strip of dough. Fold the
strips in half covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will
stick together and gently stretch from both ends. Press the tops of
the strips together and braid the strips. Gently stretch the braid so that it
measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the edges
together. Gently lay the braided dough on a parchment lined or nonstick
cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
7.
Once it's doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until
the braid is golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven,
place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
8.
For the icing, while the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar,
milk, and vanilla in a bowl until the icing is smooth and very spreadable. If
the icing is too thick, add a bit more milk; if it’s a touch too loose, add a
little more powdered sugar.
9.
Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cake and
sprinkle with purple, green, and gold decorative sugars while the icing is
still wet. Tuck the fève or plastic baby into the underside of the cake and,
using a spatula, slide the cake onto a platter.
—Adapted
from John Besh & Gourmet Girls
