The Best Cream Cheese King Cake Recipe

This recipe will show you how to make the best cream cheese king cake from scratch. The cake is soft, sweet, and filled with a luscious cream cheese filling. Topped with a colorful icing and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, this cake is the perfect dessert for Mardi Gras or any special occasion. Follow this step-by-step recipe to create a delicious and impressive king cake that will impress your family and friends.

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• - 1 cup warm milk
• - 2 packages active dry yeast
• - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• - 1/2 cup melted butter
• - 2 large eggs
• - 1 teaspoon salt
• - 4-5 cups all-purpose flour
• For the filling:
• - 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the icing:
• - 2 cups powdered sugar
• - 2-3 tablespoons milk
• - Food coloring in purple, green, and yellow
• For the cinnamon sugar topping:
• - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• For the colored sugar topping:
• - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• - Food coloring in purple, green, and yellow

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add yeast mixture to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
4. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough comes together and forms a soft ball.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.
6. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. In the meantime, prepare the cream cheese filling by beating together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy.
8. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a floured surface. Roll it out into a 20x10-inch rectangle.
9. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
10. Starting from one long side, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seam to seal.
11. Shape the log into a ring and place it on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
13. Bake the king cake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
14. While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing by mixing powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Divide the icing into three bowls and color each one with purple, green, and yellow food coloring.
15. Drizzle the colored icing over the cooled king cake in a decorative pattern.
16. In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar topping.
17. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the icing on the king cake.
18. In separate small bowls, mix granulated sugar with purple, green, and yellow food coloring for the colored sugar topping.
19. Sprinkle the colored sugar over the cake, alternating the colors in sections.
20. Slice the cake and serve it as a festive and delicious dessert.

Interesting Facts