New Orleans King Cake
New Orleans King Cake
Gâteau Des Rois
Ingrediënten
MAKES: 12 TO 18 SERVINGS
Dough
- ¼ cup warm water 105° to 115°F
- 1 package ¼ ounce active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm whole milk 105° to 115°F
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups bread flour plus 2 tablespoons for kneading the dough
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
Filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructies
- For the dough, pour the warm water into a large, warmed bowl.
- Sprinkle in the yeast and stir until it dissolves.
- Stir in the warm milk, butter, sugar, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and blend well.
- Stir in the eggs and the remaining 2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
- At the end of the blending, you may need to use your hands to work in all of the flour.
- Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough.
- Knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Add a little more flour if needed if the dough sticks.
- Place the dough in a large bowl lightly rubbed with soft butter.
- Turn the dough to grease the top of the dough.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and put in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
- For the filling, punch down the dough with your hands.
- Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and, with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 26″ × 9″ rectangle.
- Brush with the melted butter.
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the butter to within ½” of the edges.
- 4.
- Beginning at the long end, roll the dough up tightly, as for a jelly roll.
- Lightly blot the seam with water so that the dough edges stick together, and pinch them together well.
- Carefully pick up the rolled dough and place it, seam side down, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bring together the 2 ends to make a 12″ circle, seal the ends with a little water, and pinch the ends together.
- If desired, use a sharp knife to slice open the middle of the circle all the way around, cutting through the layers and almost to the bottom of the dough.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and put in a warm place to rise and double in size, about 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- When preheated, uncover the dough and place the pan in the oven.
- Bake the cake until it is lightly browned all over, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the baking sheet with a metal spatula to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
- (If you want to insert “la fève” or a plastic baby figurine, push it into the underside of the cake now.)
- Slice and serve.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
CAKE NOTES:
Adapt this wonderful coffee cake to flavors you love. Roll up raisins or cranberries, chopped pecans or sliced almonds, even orange or lemon zest along with the cinnamon and sugar. This cake needs no glaze at all, but if you want to gild the lily, add a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar or the modern glaze.
