King Cake Traditional New Orleans Recipes

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it.
• Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly.
• Set bowl in a warm place, for ten minutes or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles up in volume.
• Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl.
• Stir in lemon zest.
• Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk.
• Add egg yolks and using a wooden spoon slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture.
• When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat 2 minutes or until dough can be formed into a medium soft ball.
• Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread.
• During this kneading, add up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) sprinkled over the dough.
• When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic.
• Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter.
• Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered.
• Cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft free spot for about 1-½ hours, or until the dough doubles in volume.
• Using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside.
• Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface.
• Using you fist, punch dough down with a heavy blow.
• Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder.
• Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet.
• Pinch the ends together to complete the circle.
• Cover dough with towel and set it in draft free spot for 45 minutes until the circle of dough doubles in volume.
• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
• Place cake on wire rack to cool.
• If desired, at this time, you can"hide" the plastic baby in the cake.
• Colored sugars------------------.
• Squeeze a dot of green paste in palm of hand.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the paste and rub together quickly.
• Place this mixture on wax paper and wash hands to remove color.
• Repeat process for other two colors.
• Place aside.
• Icing------------------.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.
• If icing is too stiff, add more water until spreadable.
• Spread icing over top of cake.
• Immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in individual rows consisting of about two rows of green, purple and yellow.
• Cake is served in 2"- 3" pieces.

Steps:

• Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
• To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
• Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.