Traditional Mini King Cake
This Mini King Cake recipe is a smaller take on the Mardi Gras classic. Made with soft, buttery dough, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and a cream cheese filling, it’s topped with a colorful glaze and festive sugar in traditional purple, green, and gold.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ½ cup milk -warm (about 105–110°F )
- 1 small packet active dry yeast (¼ ounce packet, about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 3 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar -divided
- ¼ cup salted butter -melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or another neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil for greasing the bowl.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or another neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil for brushing on the dough.
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese -room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar -sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
For the Colored Sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar -divided
- 5-6 drops purple food coloring (or use a mix of blue and red food coloring)
- 5-6 drops green food coloring
- 5-6 drops yellow food coloring
For the Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar -sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: Pour the warm milk into a small bowl, add the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar, and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes until dissolved.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar, melted butter, and salt.
- Add the Egg: Stir the egg into the mixture.
- Incorporate Vanilla and Lemon Zest: Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, stirring to combine.
- Add Yeast Mixture: Pour in the milk and dissolved yeast, mixing well.
- Knead the Dough: Attach the mixing bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and climbs slightly up the dough hook, about 3 ½ minutes.
- Prepare for Rising: Remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly coat the dough with oil and grease a large mixing bowl with oil as well. Place the dough ball into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Knead and Roll: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Roll it into a rectangle, approximately 13×16 inches.
- Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling: Brush the entire surface of the dough with 2 tablespoons of oil. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, then sprinkle the mixture generously over the dough.
- Fold the Dough: Fold the dough in half lengthwise creating a long rectangle.
- Cut the Dough Into Strips: Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough into three long strips. Lay the strips side by side for braiding.
- Braid the Dough: Cross the center of the right strand over the middle strand. Next, cross the left strand over the new middle strand. Repeat until the dough is braided to the end.
- Shape the King Cake: Pinch the ends of the braided dough together to seal them, then gently form the braid into a circle.
- Second Rise: Transfer the braided dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let it rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: While the dough is resting, use an electric hand mixer to cream together 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 ¼ cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest until smooth.
- Fill the Piping Bag: Transfer the filling to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, making it easy to pipe onto the cake.
- Add the Filling: After the second rise, pipe the filling in a single circle around the top of the dough.
- Bake the King Cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Once preheated, bake the King Cake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.
- Make the Colored Sugar: Measure out a total of 3/4 cup of sugar. Divide it evenly into three small bowls, with 1/4 cup of sugar in each bowl. Add 5–6 drops of purple food coloring (or a mix of blue and red) to the first bowl, green food coloring to the second, and yellow food coloring to the third. Stir each bowl until the sugar is fully colored and vibrant.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the ½ cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Decorate With Colored Sugar: Sprinkle the colored sugars in alternating sections over the glazed King Cake to complete the festive look.
- Serve: Slice the King Cake and enjoy!
Notes
This small King Cake recipe makes about 12 slices. The number of slices will vary depending on how large or small you cut them.
Tips
- Use Warm Milk: Heat the milk to about 105–110°F to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Create a Warm Environment for Rising Dough: If your house is drafty, use your oven as a proofing box. Preheat the oven for 1 minute, turn it off, and place the dough inside. Sometimes, simply turning on the oven light provides enough warmth.
- Let the Dough Rise: Allow enough time for the dough to double in size for the best texture and structure.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 294IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
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