“Who has the baby!?” is something you often hear this time of year in South Louisiana. And by baby I mean the King Cake Baby.
King cakes are a big deal around here. From January 6th, the Epiphany, till Mardi Gras day, you’ll find these cinnamon sweet, bready, colorful cakes in just about every house, often consumed in multiple “slivers” at at time – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Am I right? You know you keep going back for more. These cakes signify the three wise men finding baby Jesus as a tiny King Cake baby is hidden in every cake.
If you have “the baby” that means you bring the next King Cake. I’ve always been a fan of King Cake and everyone has their favorite. People around here often show their loyalty to their favorite bakery. Just last year, I began baking my own King Cakes. While the idea of it was intimidating, it’s actually a super-fun and super-easy project to do with your kids … just make sure you have time to do it!
I’ve used the recipe found on The Kitchn. I’ve followed this recipe multiple times, and it’s proven consistently delicious! I do, however, use my own recipe for the icing. I prefer something with a bit more “substance” versus a light glaze. I also love to jazz it up with lots of sprinkles!
King Cake Icing
What you’ll need for the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon milk
food coloring
Using a stand mixer, mix together butter and cream cheese. Slowly add powdered sugar. Mix for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and milk and food coloring. Mix until combined. Traditionally, King Cakes are purple (signifies “justice”), green (signifies “faith”), and gold (signifies “power”); however, we’ve had fun this season using various colors for our King Cakes. Use an icing bag and snip the end to ice your King Cake. We also love a good sprinkle around here. We’ve ordered sprinkles from Sweetapolita and Fancy Sprinkles.
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