Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
KING CAKE
Desserts
Contributed by: Shar Peitz
Ingredients:
For the bread:
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 TBS warm water (115 degrees)
1�2 teaspoon of salt
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp. orange zest, minced
1�4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
11�4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces
1 egg, beaten and combined with 2 tablespoons of water
For the filling:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1�2 cup flour
1�2 cup melted butter
Combine all ingredients.
Traditionally, a small baby-shaped charm is hidden somewhere within the cake. The person finding the charm in his piece is required to provide the King Cake for the next party!
For the bread:
Dissolve yeast in warm water, mixing until it is frothy. Dissolve salt, sugar, orange zest, and milk in a small bowl. Add to the yeast mixture. Mix the cinnamon with the flour. Add the eggs to the yeast, then gradually add the flour. Knead until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. Incorporate the butter into the dough. Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour in a warm spot. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, re-cover it, and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
For the filling:
Roll the dough out to a 6- by 18-inch rectangle. Spread the filling out in the middle of the rectangle, leaving a 11�2-inch border. Roll the dough up along the long side, leaving the seam side down. Turn the dough log into a circle, tucking the ends to disguise the seam. Place the cake on a baking sheet and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
For glazing:
1 cup powdered sugar
water to thin the icing to drizzle over the cake
Drizzle glaze over baked cake.
(This recipe was contributed as part of a "Cook of the Week" feature.)
.jpg "104")
