I have been obsessed since one of my followers brought me a King Cake to the Arnold in 2019. It’s a Mardi Gras / New Orleans / Louisiana thing with a lot of incredible history if you ever want to dive into it! For our birthdays this year, I decided to make a sourdough version just for something different (there’s also info on how to sub if you don’t have any sourdough starter / levain).

And because I hate when recipes don’t share this up front, this takes about 3 hours from start to finish, given the various rises and bake times- just a heads up!

Ingredients

• Cake
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/8 cup salted butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup sourdough levain (OR 2/3 cup warm water + 1/2 TBSP yeast)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • One large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 – 2.5 cups flour
• Crumble
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 TBSP salted butter, melted
• Frosting
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 TBSP milk
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Dough

• • Heat milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 60-90 seconds. Add the salt, then set aside to cool until just warm.
  • If you are not using sourdough levain, combine the warm water, about one tablespoon of the sugar, and the yeast in a separate bowl. Stir, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
  • If you are using levain, add it to a bowl.
  • Add the milk and butter, the remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix well, then add flour while kneading with the dough hook attachment, 1 cup at a time. Only add ½ cup of flour if the dough is sticky.* Knead for 5 minutes on medium speed or 8-10 minutes by hand to create a very soft dough that starts coming away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times by hand until a smooth, round ball forms. Clean and lightly oil the bowl, then return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
• Crumble Filling
  • For the cinnamon filling, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, mixing them to combine. Set aside.
• Assembly
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it in half. Roll out half the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface, roughly 10×16 inches. Use a pizza cutter to divide the dough in half lengthwise to create two long rectangles.
  • Crumble the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough and roll it into two long cylinders, just like when making cinnamon rolls. Twist the two logs into a rope braid, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, shaping them into an oval and pinching the ends together. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes until puffy.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F while the king cake is rising. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
• Frosting
  • Beat the powdered sugar, milk, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. The frosting should be pourable but thick.
  • Drizzle the frosting over the cake, spreading it with a spatula if needed for good coverage. Sprinkle with the purple, green, and gold sugar while the frosting is still wet before it can set.
  • Slice and serve