In case you’ve forgotten – or maybe, didn’t realize – the Carnival season ends next week, and the true, New Orleans-style celebration of Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday includes a king cake. That’s right, we’ve been smack dab in the middle of “Carnival” since Jan. 6.
But what does the king cake signify?
According to Christian tradition, the king cake was originally reserved for the Epiphany (on Jan. 6), also known as Twelfth Night (because it is 12 days after Christmas, which is really what inspired the familiar tune, “The 12 Days of Christmas”). That is the day when the three kings are said to have arrived in Bethlehem to bring gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.
Many people also serve and eat the king cake throughout the Carnival season, from the Epiphany to Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins). This is a time for festivities that lead up to the fasting and more subdued time of Lent that leads up to Easter, six weeks later.
The king cake is an oval, braided cake, sort of like a cinnamon coffee cake, with icing and sugar that are green (standing for faith in Christ), gold (God’s power) and purple (justice of God). Inside, is a tiny plastic baby, symbolic of the baby Jesus, traditionally baked within, but sometimes added later.
Mardi Gras was celebrated in France since the Middle Ages, but came to North America in 1699, when the French explorer, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, camped along the Mississippi River, not far from where New Orleans now stands, and designated the spot Point du Mardi Gras because he knew it was being celebrated at the time, in Paris.
In 1837, the first documented parade was held, but many of the masked attendees displayed violent tendencies and Mardi Gras celebrations were stopped for a time.
In 1857, it was revived by several New Orleans’ residents. A society was formed to oversee it and make sure it was safe, coining the word “krewe” as the name of organizations that plan the parades and balls.
It grew to be a themed parade with floats and costumed participants, followed by a ball.
So … if you aren’t making the trip to New Orleans, you can throw your own party, or at least bake a king cake to feel like you are as involved as the “maskers” in The Big Easy.
There are many bakeries around St. Louis and the metropolitan area that make king cakes if you don’t want to try it yourself, like The Sweet Divine in Soulard, Duke Bakery in Alton, Illinois, Missouri Baking Company on Edwards Street in St. Louis, the list goes on and on.
And you can even have order a king cake to be shipped from New Orleans at kingkingcakes.com, if you are so inclined.
But if you are feeling ambitious, here’s a tried-and-true recipe that just might be the center point of your Mardi Gras celebration. And don’t forget to hide the little doll inside (but warn your guests to be on the lookout for it). Whoever gets it is considered lucky, is given the honor of being “king” for the day, and … has to bake (or buy) the king cake next year!
I’m not saying it’s easy to make, but think how good you will feel when you are finished, and can proudly (modestly) serve it to your guests!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
King Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) Rapid Rise yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces
Cinnamon Filling
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Miniature plastic baby, if desired
Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl of stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, on low for about 30 seconds. Heat milk, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and milk is 120 to 130 F. With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining one cup of flour, a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed to make a soft dough. Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed. Knead for eight minutes on low. The dough should completely clear the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, make cinnamon filling. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Combine butter with cinnamon mixture and mix well. Roll the chilled dough into a 10- by 20-inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. Fold the dough in half, covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will stick together. Cut dough into three long strips. Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle or oval and press the edges together. The cake can also be made without braiding. Just roll up the dough jelly roll-style after spreading the filling.
Transfer the ring to a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely, before icing. To hide the baby in the cake, if desired, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in after the cake has cooled.
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dark green, purple and yellow or gold sugars
In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin). Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors.
