King Cake bars for Mardi Gras

I have never set myself the task of making a real King Cake, as I figure there are enough people who do that already. My brother used to send me delicious King Cakes from a bakery in New Orleans when I was in college. Those cakes were moist and tender with a cream cheese filling, with a brightly colored, but simple frosting. 

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Perre Coleman Magness

Perre Magness has studied food and cooking around the world, mostly by eating, but also through serious study. Coursework at Le Cordon Bleu London and intensive courses in Morocco, Thailand and France has broadened her own culinary skill and palate. The kitchen of choice is at home, cooking like most people, experimenting with unique but practical ideas.

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The cake was packaged with beads and doubloons and made for a fun party all around. I was always very popular during Mardi Gras season. That is really my idea of what a King Cake should be, though I know there are many different versions. Those were the first, and still the best, King Cakes I have ever had. But now, I often find the bakeries in my local grocery stores offer wildly decorated King Cakes leading up to Mardi Gras. I have bought them, but they are generally dry and tasteless and a real disappointment (and often stale). I once ordered a fancy, artfully decorated King Cake from a New Orleans bakery at great expense, but even it was dry.

These bars meet all my King Cake flavor requirements, but are simpler to make and to serve. They make a great dessert for a Mardi Gras party, and would pack up beautifully to carry to a parade-viewing spot. I sprinkle colored sanding sugar in the traditional purple, green and gold color scheme over the top for a sparkly Mardi Gras feel, but you could easily tint the glaze, use sprinkles or the fancier luster dust.

IN PICTURES: It’s Mardi Gras time all over the world!

And a word about the baby. Traditionally, King Cake has a small plastic baby figure backed inside. The person whose piece of cake contains the baby is then responsible for hosting the next King Cake party. Many bakeries now include the baby in the box, but don’t bake it into the cake. I assume this is for liability reasons, as a small plastic baby is a choking hazard. If you do happen to have a plastic baby, feel free to bake it into the King Cake Bars, though it is likely to show through the filling and be less of a surprise.

King Cake Bars
Makes about 15 bars

For the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons milk

For the Filling:

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoon milk
Colored sanding sugar or sprinkles (purple, green and gold)

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9- x 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour and sugar. Drop in the butter cubes and beat on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and looks a bit like wet sand.  Add the milk and beat until it starts to stick together. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it in to form an even layer, making sure there are no holes or gaps.

For the Filling:

Wipe out the mixer bowl and rinse and dry the paddle. Beat the filling ingredients together until completely smooth. Spread the filling evenly over the prepared crust. Bake the bars for 20 – 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set.

For the Glaze:

While the bars are cooking, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until completely smooth. As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, spread the glaze in an even layer across the top.  Immediately decorate with sanding sugar.  Leave the bars to cool completely, then slice.

Related post: Mardi Gras Crawfish Spread

IN PICTURES: It’s Mardi Gras time all over the world!

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All hail the Mardi Gras king cake

At first sight, it comes across as, well, a little unusual. A large wreath-shaped cake bedazzled in vibrant shades of purple, green and gold — there’s nothing subtle about it. It might be flavored simply with a touch of cinnamon sugar, or maybe it’s decked out with any of a number of creative fillings. Help yourself to a slice, or two — just be careful you don’t accidentally bite into the plastic baby.

Behold the wonder that is the king cake. For many, a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras is simply not complete without it.

Though it may look rather odd — perhaps even gaudy — on its own, the king cake fits right in with a colorful season of festive parade floats and marching bands, masked revelers and flying beads as far as the eye can see.

Largely drawn from Catholic tradition, Mardi Gras is the culmination of the Carnival season, a magical stretch of the calendar that spans from Jan. 6 (Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day) through Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, the last hurrah before Ash Wednesday and the sobering start to Lent. Variations of the king cake span a number of Catholic-influenced cultures and countries, as varied as the French gbteau de rois and Mexico’s rosca de reyes.

Of course, no one does king cake quite like New Orleans. It’s decorated in the colors of Mardi Gras — purple (to represent justice), green (faith) and gold (power) — as chosen by one of the city’s first Mardi Gras organizations, or krewes. A token or trinket — usually a plastic baby symbolizing the infant Jesus — is hidden inside the king cake. Whoever finds the baby may be crowned king or queen of the party; more important, that person is responsible for bringing the cake to the next gathering.

It should come as no surprise that New Orleans goes through a lot of king cakes over Carnival — hundreds of thousands are baked each season. For those who live out of town, cakes are available by mail-order; some bakeries even offer overnight delivery.

I try to get back to New Orleans whenever I can to celebrate Mardi Gras. When I can’t (more often than not), I’ll celebrate at home with friends. Over the years, I’ve found it’s next to impossible to find a local bakery that makes New Orleans-style king cakes, let alone knows what one is. And authentic as a mail-order cake may be, I’ve never had one that matched freshly baked. (In my experience, king cake — like most baked goods — should never be sent through the mail. Even the best ones come out of the box looking a little traumatized; most are dry and as stiff as a stale fruitcake.)

So I’ll bake a king cake every year to celebrate the season. They take a little bit of effort but are well worth the time. And nothing beats the flavor of homemade.

Start with a rich brioche dough — don’t skimp on the butter (please, save the diet for Lent). Stuff the dough with at least one filling — besides flavor, it helps the king cake stay moist. Personally, I prefer two fillings, just to keep it interesting: a crisp apple filling studded with toasted pecans and raisins (soak the raisins in rum for a little extra fun) and a whipped cream cheese filling for sheer gush. Roll up the dough, then give it a quick twist to give the fillings a braided appearance.

The king cake bakes in almost no time. Puffed and golden-brown, baptize your creation with creamy glaze, then give it sparkle with a drizzle of colored sugars. And don’t forget to hide the baby inside.

The king cake is best served slightly warm. Chunks of apple alternate with the light cream cheese filling — each slice is a wonderful play on flavors: not too tart, not too sweet. It’s a thing of festive beauty and — next to some colorful beads and a batch of rum-imbued Hurricanes — the best way to celebrate Mardi Gras.

MARDI GRAS KING CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE AND APPLE FILLING

Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, plus rising times

Servings: 12 to 16

Note: The king cake can be adapted to any occasion by substituting or eliminating the colored sugars. Colored sugars and plastic king cake babies are generally available at baking supply stores, as well as online. For better flavor, rehydrate the raisins in a small saucepan, covered with spiced rum, over low heat just until plump and tender.

Apple filling

2 tablespoons butter

2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch slices

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup raisins

½ cup toasted pecan pieces

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the apple slices, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the apple starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes (the slices should still be crisp). Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and toasted pecans. Spread the apple mixture onto a baking sheet to stop the cooking process and allow the apples to cool quickly, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cream cheese filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons sugar

½ beaten egg (save the other half to make the egg wash for the cake)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese with the vanilla, salt and sugar. Add the beaten egg to the cream cheese mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cream cheese glaze

2 ounces (1/4 of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until completely combined. With the mixer running, add the sifted powdered sugar, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.

Brioche dough and assembly

¾ cup milk, divided

1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided

2 eggs, plus ½ beaten egg (use the remaining half egg leftover from the cream cheese filling), divided

10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

3 ½ cups (15.75 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon salt

Apple filling

Cream cheese filling

Cream cheese glaze

Purple, green and yellow colored sugars for decorating

Plastic baby, if desired

1. In a small pan, heat one-half cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk over medium heat just until warmed. Remove from heat and pour the milk into a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then set aside until the milk is foamy and the yeast is activated, about 10 minutes.

2. Whisk the 2 eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in the yeast mixture and remaining one-third cup of sugar until fully incorporated.

3. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer running, add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time, until fully incorporated.

5. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is soft and somewhat silky (it’s a rich dough and won’t be entirely smooth), 5 to 7 minutes. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

6. Meanwhile, make an egg wash: Combine the remaining beaten half egg with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk.

7. When the dough is doubled, punch it down (it will be very smooth and elastic) and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface into a 10-by-28-inch rectangle. Lightly score the dough lengthwise to divide the dough into 2 equal halves.

8. Spoon the apple filling down the length of one side, leaving a 1 ½-inch border on the top, bottom and sides. Repeat with the cream cheese filling down the other side of the dough, leaving a 1 ½-inch border on the top, bottom and each side. Lightly brush the edges and center of the dough (along the score) with the egg wash to moisten. Gently and carefully pull the dough over the cream cheese filling, sealing the edge of the dough along the score mark. Repeat with the apple filling. Press the sealed edges, making sure they are secure (otherwise the fillings could spill out while the cake bakes).

9. Gently twist the length of the dough to form a braid-like shape. Wrap the dough so it forms an oval wreath and gently press the edges together. Carefully transfer the wreath to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

10. Brush the top of the wreath lightly with egg wash and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost doubled in volume, 45 minutes to an hour, or loosely cover and refrigerate the dough overnight, removing it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking for the dough to come to room temperature.

11. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the wreath with any remaining egg wash and place the sheet in the oven.

12. Bake the cake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (the toothpick will remain moist if it hits the cream cheese filling, but there should be no crumbs sticking to it), about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even color.

13. Allow the cake to cool slightly before it is frosted (if it’s too hot, the glaze will run off the cake and not adhere). Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake, then lightly sprinkle on the colored sugars. If using the plastic baby, hide it somewhere in the cake (press the baby in through the bottom of the cake so as not to disturb the top or sides of the cake). Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

Each of 16 servings: 387 calories; 7 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 86 mg cholesterol; 20 grams sugar; 224 mg sodium.

baking with Bill & Sheila
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