Description
This easy King Cake recipe is a festive and fun twist on the traditional Mardi Gras treat, featuring jumbo cinnamon rolls baked in a bundt pan to form a colorful cinnamon roll wreath. Decorated with vibrant green, yellow, and purple frosting to match the iconic Mardi Gras colors, this recipe is quick to assemble and perfect for celebrating with family and friends. The cake includes the tradition of hiding a small baby figurine inside, symbolizing luck and prosperity for the finder.
Ingredients
Scale
King Cake Base
- 2 tubes (17.5 oz each) jumbo cinnamon rolls
Frosting and Decorations
- 1 tub (16 oz) white frosting
- Wilton Leaf Green color gel
- Wilton Golden Yellow color gel
- Wilton Violet color gel
Optional
- Small baby doll figurine
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a bundt pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the cake releases smoothly after baking.
- Arrange Cinnamon Rolls: Press the jumbo cinnamon rolls into the bundt pan, squeezing them together to prevent gaps as they will naturally want to rise and pop up. Use your palms to flatten and level the rolls evenly inside the pan.
- Add the King Cake Baby: At this point, place a small baby doll figurine inside the cake by pressing it gently into the dough, somewhere between the rolls but concealed within the cake.
- Bake the King Cake: Place the bundt pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top. After baking, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Cool and Invert: After the initial cooling, invert the bundt pan onto a flat surface to release the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Colored Frostings: Divide the white frosting evenly into three separate bowls. Add the green, yellow, and violet color gels to each bowl respectively, mixing until you achieve vibrant colors.
- Warm Frosting: Place each bowl’s frosting into a resealable plastic bag, do not seal them yet. Microwave all three bags for 15 seconds to soften the frosting. Remove from microwave, seal the bags, knead them to smooth the frosting, and snip a small tip off each bag to create piping bags.
- Decorate the Cake: Drizzle the colored frostings over the cooled cake, alternating colors to showcase the traditional Mardi Gras green, yellow (gold), and purple. If frosting thickens while decorating, reheat slightly as needed.
- Set and Serve: Allow the frosting to set and thicken slightly before slicing and serving your festive cinnamon roll King Cake. Enjoy with 8-10 guests.
Notes
- The baby figurine symbolizes luck and prosperity for the person who finds it in their slice, but they also traditionally host the next year’s King Cake.
- If you don’t have colored gels, food coloring can be substituted but gels provide more vibrant colors.
- This recipe uses premade cinnamon rolls for convenience but you can experiment with homemade dough for a more traditional approach.
- Ensure the cake is fully cooled before frosting to prevent melting and sliding of icing.
- Use a bundt pan for the perfect crown-shaped King Cake wreath.
- Celebrate Mardi Gras colors by adding matching beads or masks as table decor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern, Cajun
Keywords: King Cake, Mardi Gras, Cinnamon Roll King Cake, Easy King Cake, Mardi Gras Dessert, Cinnamon Rolls, Festive Cake
