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Mini King Cakes for Mardi Gras!

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5 from 1 review

Let the good times roll with these festive Mini King Cakes! Really fun to make and perfect for Mardi Gras!

  • Total Time: 40 minutes plus rising
  • Yield: 6 mini king cakes

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 cup milk, warmed to 100-110 degrees F
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 2 tablespoons soft butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 and ½ cups AP flour

Filling:

  • 4 tablespoons soft butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze and topping:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tablespoons milk
  • Purple, green, and gold/yellow sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Stir together warm milk, yeast, sugar, egg, and vanilla in the bowl of stand mixer and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast foams.
  2. After yeast is activated, add butter, salt, and flour and mix on low with a dough hook until a soft dough forms. Continue kneading for about 5-7 minutes on speed 2. Add a tiny bit of flour if dough seems overly sticky.
  3. When dough has kneaded, place bowl in a warm place covered loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let rise 60 minutes or until dough is doubled in bulk.
  4. Combine filling ingredients and stir to make a smooth mixture.
  5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and flatten into a thin, roughly 18x12-inch rectangle. Spread one half of the dough with filling mixture. Fold the unfilled half of dough over the filling and press down gently.
  6. Trim edges if desired and cut lengthwise into 6 even strips. It is fine if some of them are a bit different than others - don't worry if they aren't exact.
  7. Working with one piece at a time, twist the dough and roll it up to form a circular shape (see photos for reference). Repeat with all dough pieces.
  8. Place king cakes on parchment lined baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and let rise for about an hour in a warm place. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F during last 20-30 minutes of rising time. The best way to check that they are done rising is to give the dough a light poke with your index finger. If the dough springs back quickly, they are not ready. If your finger leaves an indentation that remains, they are ready to bake!
  9. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool on wire racks while you prepare the glaze. Combine all glaze ingredients in a large measuring cup or bowl. Once cakes have cooled for about 15 minutes, pour glaze over and quickly sprinkle to make a yellow, purple, green pattern. Allow to set and enjoy!

Notes

I almost always use salted butter but feel free to use unsalted if that is your preference. There is no need to adjust the salt in the recipe unless you are using outrageously salty butter or you are very, very sensitive to salt.

  • Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes plus rising
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: dessert, breads, yeast breads
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American