Spoon & Shutter

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

From Susan: A little ancient history: This coffeecake-like sweet honors the three kings who visited Christ on Epiphany – also known as King’s Day – which was traditionally the start of the revelry that ends today on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. The colored sugars match Mardi Gras beads: gold for power, green for faith and purple for justice. A plastic baby is baked inside the cake; according to tradition, whoever gets the baby hosts the next King Cake party.

A little modern history: Ted took this photo when I made King Cake last year for Ho Springs – the online serial novel to which I contributed the “Cora’s Kitchen” recipe blog. Ho Springs is on hiatus, but I will be making King Cake once again today in, what is, unfortunately, our only culinary nod to Mardi Gras. (Someday, I am determined to make crawfish gumbo, Hurricane cocktails, throw some beads around – the whole whoop-de-doo … ) Our King Cake baby stands in for baby Jesus in my crèche, which means I now have to go dig the little darling out of a Christmas decorations box. It’s nearly sacrilegious to serve the cake after tomorrow, but unless you’re planning to offer it to die-hard New Orleanians, I pretty much guarantee you no one is going to refuse it at anytime of the year.

King Cake

Makes 2 cakes

1-16 oz. container sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teas. salt

2 envelopes dry yeast (I use rapid-rise because I am usually impatient!)

1/2 cup warm water

1 tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 teas. cinnamon

Glaze (recipe follows)

purple, green and gold sugar for sprinkling

Place first four ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside and cool until mixture is 100-110 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, combine warm water, 1 tbsp. sugar and yeast. Let stand for five minutes – it should puff up as the yeast is activated.

Scrape the sour cream mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast mixture, eggs and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic – adding more flour if necessary (This will take 5-10 mins., depending on your kneading skill). Grease a bowl generously with butter, place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat it, cover the bowl with a dishtowel and place in a warm spot for 45 mins. to an hour or until it has doubled in bulk. (Tip: I use my oven for this, I turn it on to 200 for a few minutes while I’m kneading the dough, then turn it off before I put the dough in.)

Punch the dough down and divide in half. Roll one piece into a rectangle, 22 x 12; spread with half the softened butter and sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, jelly-roll style and form into an oval shape, pinching to seal the ends. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet and cover with a clean dishtowel while you repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

Let the cakes rise again in a warm place for 20 mins., or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 375 and bake the cakes, switching shelf positions if necessary, for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown (be careful not to over-bake them).

Let the cakes cool on the pans for 10 minutes before removing them carefully to a wire rack. Ice immediately with the glaze and sprinkle with the sugars in alternating, wide bands of the three colors. Let cool before slicing (always the hard part!)

Glaze: (make this while the cakes are baking)

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 teas. vanilla

2-4 tbsp. milk

Combine first 4 ingredients and 2 tbsp. milk, mix until smooth. Add additional milk a little at a time until the glaze is a spreading consistency.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living magazine.