Like many people I receive promotional emails, and like many people I usually opt out. However, every so often, I succumb as I did with King Arthur Flour. Being a decent cook is not the same as being a trained chef, but I am the former especially when it comes to baking. So when I opened the email that featured Mardi Gras King Cake, well, I fell. Hard.
It may be too late for Mardi Gras, but yesterday I made King Cake which is really a sweet bread with a cream cheese filling like cheese danishes. It includes eggs, melted butter, and flavoring (fiori di sicilia which is my recommendation or regular vanilla flavoring). The filling is cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and flavoring (the same as before). The dough is made, spread into a shape suitable for the filling, and made into a ring. Here is what mine looked like after baking:
As you can see, the filling did not stay neatly put inside the bread. Fortunately, not all of it escaped, and the way it did kept the filling with the bread instead of all over the baking sheet. When I make this again, I think I will make an egg white wash to brush on before pinching the sides of the dough and be more careful not to open any of those pinches when joining the two ends.
Today the loaf was cool and the glaze/frosting and colored sugars could be applied. and so I did. I really need some more practice!
Here's a few more hints-from-experience. The recipe for the "frosting" is two to four times more than is necessary. Next time, I'll cut it in half and drizzle rather than frost. Made with all the topping, the bread is overwhelmingly sweet. It also doesn't need as much decorator's sugar as I used, but that was because I didn't have a good way to sprinkle in the narrow lines I wanted (and as shown in the picture).
All that being said, it was fun to make and even more fun to eat!
Now I just need to find 10 people to help finish it . . .
I loved the look of Mardi Gras King Cake before the icing. I wonder how it would have tasted without the icing. To me, it's more attractive. But then the thought of all those calories may have pushed me over the edge.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm with Est - the icing and sugars would make it too sweet for me - but, oh, it does look and sound wonderful !!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, first I would like to say thank you for making Mardi Gras Cake for me, Mardi.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I do not agree with the first two comments. I love icing. Lots and lots of icing. Sprinkles not so much, but I would eat them.
Third, it does look delicious and I will need to try it.
:} Mardi
ps Scrolling looks fun and interesting.