This recipe uses a classic yeast-risen French brioche to create a soft pillowy dough. Filled with sugar and cinnamon, rolled up like a cinnamon roll and baked; this "cake" is more of a bread, but is the authentic and historic cake of New Orleans. The delicious cream cheese glaze is my own adaptation, and is infused with rum or bourbon. Tinted sugar is the crowning glory of this cake. The green represents faith. Purple - justice, and gold - power.
2cupssugar, divided into thirds2/3 cup for each color
food coloring gold, green and purple
Instructions
For the cake
Combine flour, sugar, powdered milk and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in the middle of your dry ingredients(see video). In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the water,melted butter and yeast.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix slightly with a fork to create a paste-like "sponge". Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 15-30 minutes.
Mix the sponge throughout the dry ingredients and knead on afloured surface for about 10 minutes. Incorporating more flour as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.
After dough has risen, roll out into a rectangle on afloured surface and brush butter on dough. See video.Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on buttered dough.Roll up dough "cinnamon roll style" and form into an ovalor circle.
Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes. Be sure to completely cool the cake before glazing.
The glaze
Using a mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese, adding the powdered sugar and milk as you go. Add the rum or bourbon at the end.
The tinted sugar
To make the decorating sugar, place 2/3 to 1 cup of sugar each - into three bags. Put a few glops of gel food color into each bag. Secure the top of the bag and knead and shake the sugar until the gel food color is fully mixed.
Pour the glaze over the king cake and arrange the sugarover it, alternating colors.