February 21, 2012: Fat Tuesday

Aunt Robin’s King Cake with Lemon Ginger Cream
&
Uncle Rock’s Chocolate King Cake with Chocolate Cream

I always thought of King Cake as a Mardi Gras treat: a slightly sweet bread rolled with nutty cinnamon sugar or filled with cream cheese, then glazed and topped with purple, gold, and green sanding sugar. To celebrate the resurrection, I thought, a tiny baby, a dried bean, or a large pecan was inserted into someone’s slice before or after cooking. Only recently, when I was reading the fabulous French Twist DC blog, I learned that King Cake is actually served from Twelfth Night or Epiphany (the baby representing the Christ child – makes more sense! – and the three coloured sugars representing the three kings) until the beginning of Lent. Fat Tuesday, then, serves as the official “goodbye” to King Cake, although, apparently, New Orleans residents don’t give it up until Easter.

A very special friend introduced me to King Cake several years ago…my purple slice complete with my own personal plastic Jesus! This year, I wanted to introduce the kids to the tradition in her honour. However, I was fairly certain that they wouldn’t be interested in the sweet white bread or plain cream cheese called for by most recipes. Bea is a huge lemon fan, though, and, both of them are nuts for chocolate! I searched the web for some recipe ideas. I found some suggestions for an alternate Zulu! King Cake with chocolate chip coconut filling and chocolate glaze – but the kids don’t like coconut! So, inspired by a few basic recipes for the original (see especially the fine work from Saveur and Southern Living), I came up with two twists on a classic to tempt the little ones!

Aunt Robin’s King Cake with Lemon Ginger Cream: Ingredients
Uncle Rock’s Chocolate King Cake with Chocolate Cream: Ingredients
Bake, Decorate and Serve: Instructions for Both King Cakes

Aunt Robin’s King Cake with Lemon Ginger Cream

Ingredients

Dough
8 oz sour cream (12-18% fat)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbs butter
1 tsp salt (optional)

1 (1/4 oz) envelope active dry yeast
1/2 c warm water
1 tbs sugar

1 large egg
3 cups bread flour

Filling
1.5 packages (12 oz) cream cheese
1 egg
3/4 c sugar
2-4 tbs fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest
1-2 tsp ginger – powder

Glaze
2 c icing sugar
2 tbs butter, melted
2-4 tbs lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbs- 1/4 c buttermilk or “sour” milk (1/4 c – 2 tsp milk mixed with 2 tsp lemon juice)
Purple, Green, and Yellow Sugar Crystals

Additions
1+* plastic babies, dried beans, pecan slices, or gold wrapped chocolate coins
1+ paper crowns for the recipients of the trinket
*We designate one per child
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Uncle Rock’s Chocolate King Cake with Chocolate Cream

Ingredients

Dough
8 oz sour cream (12-18% fat)
1/2 – 2/3 cup sugar
3 tbs butter
1 tsp salt (optional)

1 (1/4 oz) envelope active dry yeast
1/2 c warm water
1 tbs sugar

1-2 oz unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate, melted (optional)
1 large egg
1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tbs – 1/4 cup milk (if necessary)

Filling
1.5 packages (12 oz) cream cheese
1 egg
1 c sugar
2oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Glaze
2 c icing sugar
2 tbs butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs – 1/4 c buttermilk or “sour” milk (1/4 c – 2 tsp milk mixed with 2 tsp lemon juice)
Purple, Green, and Yellow Sugar Crystals

Additions
1+* plastic babies, dried beans, pecan slices, or gold wrapped chocolate coins
1+ paper crowns for the recipients of the favour
*We will serve one to each child.
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Bake, Decorate, and Serve: Instructions for Both Cakes

Make the Dough
 
Stir together yeast, warm water, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside to proof.
Melt sour cream, sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan over very low heat. Cool slightly.
In a mixer, beat yeast mixture, sour cream mixture, eggs and 1 c flour.
For Chocolate Cake Only: Add Cocoa Powder and Optional Melted Chocolate
Add remaining flour and mix until dough pulls away from mixing bowl.
For Chocolate Cake Only: If necessary, add milk by the spoonful until dough pulls away from mixing bowl.
Remove dough to a slightly floured surface and knead gently for 5 minutes.
Place dough in a greased bowl.
Cover, and let rise in a warm dry place for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled.
 

Make the Filling
Combine all filling ingredients in a blender or mix by hand until smooth and creamy.

Heat Oven to 350

Construct the King Cake
   
Punch dough down and roll into a rectangle about 24 inches wide and 12 inches long.
Spread filling over rectangle, leaving 1 inch at the 12 inch sides.
Roll dough jellyroll style so that you have a 24 in long tube.
Remove dough to a parchment-lined pan and form it into a ring or donut shape.
Use a bit of water to pinch and seal the dough.
Set aside to rise again for 20-30 minutes if so desired.

Bake and Cool Completely

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Cool Completely.

Make the Glaze
Mix all glaze ingredients except the buttermilk/sour milk.
Slowly add the milk to your mixture 1 spoonful at a time until glaze is spreadable.

Decorate the King Cake
  
Pour glaze over cake.
Sprinkle sanding sugars over the cake in bold stripes.

Designate a Royal
After slicing the cake in the kitchen (away from guests), secretly place a plastic baby, bean, nut, or foil covered coin inside of the cake slice of one or more party-goers.
When each recipient finds their token, give them a paper crown and tell them they’re King or Queen for the day!

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