Super Easy Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe
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Super Easy Mardi Gras King Cake

"Do you love the way a King Cake brightens up your party but hate the time it takes to bake one? Here's an easy recipe that's fast and fun and easier than pie!!! A small plastic baby inserted into the side of the cake will bring good luck in the coming year to whoever discovers it in their slice of cake. Beads, additional plastic babies, curly ribbon, and other festive trinkets can be used to decorate the cake."

This Kitchen Approved Recipe has an average star rating of 4.3 Rate/Review | Read Reviews (29)

Prep Time:
15 Min
Cook Time:
50 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr 5 Min

Servings  (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 12 servings
 

Ingredients

  • 3 (14 ounce) cans refrigerated sweet roll dough
  • 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 drops green food coloring
  • 2 drops yellow food coloring
  • 1 drop red food coloring
  • 1 drop blue food coloring
  • 1/2 cup multi-colored sprinkles

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
  2. Open the cans of sweet roll dough and unroll the dough from each can into 3 strands. Working on a clean surface, place 3 dough strands side by side and gather them together to make one large strand. Fold this in half, and roll slightly to make a fat log. Repeat steps with the remaining dough. Place each log on the prepared baking sheet and shape to make a ring, overlapping the ends and pinching them together to make a complete circle. Pat the dough into shape as necessary to make the ring even in size all the way around. Cover loosely with foil.
  3. Bake in preheated oven until firm to the touch and golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Check often for doneness so the ring doesn't overbake. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
  4. Place the cake ring on a serving plate. Cut a slit along the inside of the ring and insert a small plastic baby, pushing it far enough into the cake to be hidden from view.
  5. Divide the frosting evenly between 4 bowls. Stir 1 tablespoon of milk into each bowl to thin the frosting. Use the frosting in one bowl to drizzle over the cooled cake. To the remaining three bowls of frosting, stir yellow food coloring into one and green into another. Stir the red and blue food colorings together with the frosting in a third bowl to make purple frosting. Drizzle the cake with yellow, green, and purple frostings in any desired pattern. Dust the cake with multi-colored sprinkles and decorate with beads, additional plastic babies, curly ribbon, and other festive trinkets.

Footnotes

  • Cook's Note
  • Always tell everyone before they eat the King Cake that there is a hidden plastic baby somewhere in the cake, so no one will choke on the baby!

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 606 | Total Fat: 22.9g | Cholesterol: < 1mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

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 view all reviews »  

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2011 by Lauren Ide   view full review
I used 2 cans of cinnamon rolls from ALDI, unrolled them, separated into 4 strands, braided...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 18, 2008 by Jocelyn1224   view full review
I'm just wondering what the correct dough is? Is there a name brand you can recommend? I plan...
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 20, 2009 by Trimell   view full review
Cool. I am from Baton Rouge,La and this is just as good as the best King cake i have ever...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 15, 2008 by KARINLM   view full review
It is so frustrating to read a review where the individual didn't follow the directions and...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 24, 2009 by Ms. Magic   view full review
I had to make 5 cakes for a Mardi Gras party. This cake tasted great and is easy. I only...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Mar. 2, 2009 by Lisa   view full review
This recipe was super easy and the cake turned out beautifully! I also was unsure about the...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 16, 2010 by Rokea   view full review
This is the 2nd year I have made it for Mardi Gras. Usually I am person who bakes everything...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Mar. 10, 2011 by Brandi   view full review
My sister and I wanted to have a Mardi Gras party for our girls, and this cake was the perfect...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 25, 2010 by bprioux   view full review
This makes a great king cake! To get purple, mix the blue and red colors like the recipe...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.3 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 10, 2010 by IrishTriplets   view full review
This is such a fun recipe! I made it for our Saints Superbowl celebration. Only needed 1 tub...

 

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