Post by water_moon on Feb 19, 2013 17:26:28 GMT -5
This is a New Orleans style king cake, which is brioche wrapped around a sweet filling. If you want to include a token or baby, it goes in at the end, AFTER it's cooked and cooled.
This recipe makes two cakes, so feel free to cut amounts in half.
Bread:
1 C milk
1/4 C butter
2 (.25 oz) packages of active dry yeast (0.5 oz total)
2/3 cup warm water (110 F/ 45 C)
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea freshly grated nutmeg (add a pinch more if it's not fresh)
5 1/2 C all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 C packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 C pecans
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C melted butter
Frosting:
1 C powered sugar
1-2 Tablespoon water
Directions:
1. Scald milk,* remove from heat and stir in butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temp. Meanwhile dissolve the yeast with 1 T sugar in the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the bubbling yeast mixture to the cooled milk and whisk in eggs. Stir in remaining white sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Beat the flour in 1 cup at a time until the dough is sticky but will hold it's shape. Turn it out on to a smooth, floured work surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl (at least 3 times the size of the dough) and place the dough ball in the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down dough and divide into half (unless you're making a half batch)
4.Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. Making the filling: Melt butter. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins, pecans, flour and pour melted butter over it. Mix just until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (about 10 x 16 inches). Spread the filling evenly over length of the dough, going tothe edges on the short sides but avoiding the last few inches of one long side. Roll it tightly like a jelly roll beginning at the long side with filling. Use the unfilled inches to seal the dough closed and turn the seal downwards. The bring the ends of each roll together to make 2 oval rings with very large centers (a good proportion of this center space will disappear with the 2nd rise and baking). Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet keeping the seam down. With scissors or a sharp knife, make cuts 1/3rd of the way through the rings at approx. 1 inch intervals. **Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat over to 375 degrees (190 C).
7. Bake in preheated oven until bread is done, about 30 minutes. Cool on sheet (avoid transferring it while hot to avoid spilling filling) until it's able to be handled and you can lift it up to make a small cut in the bottom to insert the baby.
8. For frosting, mix powered sugar with 1 Tablespoon of water, add more water as needed to make a loose paste, too think won't spread, but too thin will run off the sides and dry clear. Frost while warm and decorate with colored sugars or candied fruits if you so desire.
* to scald milk, heat it just until it starts to bubble at the edges, but do not let it boil over.
** if you want to save the second cake, you can freeze it at this point. You will need to pull it from the freezer in time to thaw, and still have it's second rise. Alternativly to serve this cake warm but not wake up hours early, you can put it in the fridge over night and go stright into the second rise in a very warm spot.
This recipe makes two cakes, so feel free to cut amounts in half.
Bread:
1 C milk
1/4 C butter
2 (.25 oz) packages of active dry yeast (0.5 oz total)
2/3 cup warm water (110 F/ 45 C)
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea freshly grated nutmeg (add a pinch more if it's not fresh)
5 1/2 C all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 C packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 C pecans
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C melted butter
Frosting:
1 C powered sugar
1-2 Tablespoon water
Directions:
1. Scald milk,* remove from heat and stir in butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temp. Meanwhile dissolve the yeast with 1 T sugar in the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the bubbling yeast mixture to the cooled milk and whisk in eggs. Stir in remaining white sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Beat the flour in 1 cup at a time until the dough is sticky but will hold it's shape. Turn it out on to a smooth, floured work surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl (at least 3 times the size of the dough) and place the dough ball in the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down dough and divide into half (unless you're making a half batch)
4.Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. Making the filling: Melt butter. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins, pecans, flour and pour melted butter over it. Mix just until crumbly.
6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (about 10 x 16 inches). Spread the filling evenly over length of the dough, going tothe edges on the short sides but avoiding the last few inches of one long side. Roll it tightly like a jelly roll beginning at the long side with filling. Use the unfilled inches to seal the dough closed and turn the seal downwards. The bring the ends of each roll together to make 2 oval rings with very large centers (a good proportion of this center space will disappear with the 2nd rise and baking). Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet keeping the seam down. With scissors or a sharp knife, make cuts 1/3rd of the way through the rings at approx. 1 inch intervals. **Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat over to 375 degrees (190 C).
7. Bake in preheated oven until bread is done, about 30 minutes. Cool on sheet (avoid transferring it while hot to avoid spilling filling) until it's able to be handled and you can lift it up to make a small cut in the bottom to insert the baby.
8. For frosting, mix powered sugar with 1 Tablespoon of water, add more water as needed to make a loose paste, too think won't spread, but too thin will run off the sides and dry clear. Frost while warm and decorate with colored sugars or candied fruits if you so desire.
* to scald milk, heat it just until it starts to bubble at the edges, but do not let it boil over.
** if you want to save the second cake, you can freeze it at this point. You will need to pull it from the freezer in time to thaw, and still have it's second rise. Alternativly to serve this cake warm but not wake up hours early, you can put it in the fridge over night and go stright into the second rise in a very warm spot.