King Cake

adapted lightly from this recipe, to spare future me the ads and make sure i can find it again

Note that it makes 2 good sized king cakes. Might be worth making a half batch sometime. (I made mine on half sheet pans)

adaption choices:

• no matter how carefully i warm the liquid, I ALWAYS kill the yeast, so I never warm the milk or water or anything ever anymore. this probably means i wait longer for rises
• i never have milk, always use dry milk
• i had an easier time putting the filling in before cutting the dough

Ingredients, Dough:

1. 1 Tblsp yeast
2. 1 2/3 c water
3. 1/3 c dry milk
4. 1/2 c sugar
5. 2 eggs
6. 2 tsp vanilla
7. 4 Tblsp salted butter, softened and cut up into small pieces
8. 1 1/2 tsp salt
9. 5 c all p flour

Shove all the ingredients in a mixer in approx this order, attach the dough hook and stir/knead for at least 5 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. pull the dough out, give it a couple of kneads, spray oil the bowl, put the dough back in and cover it. let rise approx 2 hours

Ingredients, Cinnamon Filling:

1. 2/3 c brown sugar
2. 1/3 c sugar
3. 1/2 c flour
4. 2 tsp cinnamon
5. 4 Tblsp salted butter, melted

Mix the dry ingredients well, breaking up the brown sugar (a fork does fine.) add the melted butter, and mix well - should just damped everything.

Ingredients, Cream Cheese filling:

1. 8 oz cream cheese, softened
2. 2 c powdered sugar
3. 2 Tblsp salted butter, softened
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat well until smooth

While the dough is rising, you should make one of the 2 fillings

Once the dough has doubled in size ish, punch it down/give it a couple of kneads, and cut it in half.

Prepare two baking sheets (I used half sheet pans so both would comfortably fit in the oven) by lining with parchment paper

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the half of the dough to about 10x16 inches. Spread the filling across dough, then use a pizza cutter to cut it in half (so that you have two long narrow pieces, approx 5x16 inches) roll each side up around the filling, and then twist the two pieces together. form the twist into a ring and settled it on the pan. repeat with the other half of the dough.

cover, and let rise about an hour.

Preheat oven to 335, bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

While baking make icing:

Ingredients, Icing:

1. 1 Tblsp salted butter, melted
2. 2 c powdered sugar
3. 1 Tbsp dry milk
4. 3 Tblsp water
5. 1 tsp vanilla
6. 1 tsp lemon juice

I melted the butter in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, then poured the powdered sugar in up to a smidge over the 2 c line, and then added and mixed everything else. Use a fork or a small whisk and mix til smooth. I dyed the icing because i didn't have colored sugar!

After the cakes cool, ice them. If using colored sugar, add before the icing firms up.