Mardi Gras King Cake

Happy Fat Tuesday! Enjoy this delicious holiday treat.

Southern Living's King Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 (1/4 oz) envelopes active dry yeast

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 cup warm water (~100-110 degrees)

2 eggs

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)

1/2  cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup better or margarine (softened)

Colored Frostings:

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons butter (melted) 

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 drops green food coloring

2 drops yellow food coloring

2 drops blue food coloring

2 drops red food coloring

Colored Sugars:

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 drops green food coloring

2 drops yellow food coloring 

2 drops red food coloring 

2 drops blue food coloring

Directions:

1. Cook butter/margarine, sour cream, sugar and salt in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to ~100-110 degrees.

2. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 min. Add butter mixture, eggs, and two cups flower; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. 

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (~85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. 

6. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside

7. Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28 x 10 in. rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and soften butter on dough. roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching ends together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter. 

8. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes (or until doubled in bulk). 

9. Bake a 375 degrees for 15 minutes (or until golden). Decorate with bands of colored frostings and sprinkle with colored sugars. 

Colored Frostings:

Stir together powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla. Divide frosting into 3 batches, tinting 1 green, 1 yellow, and combining red and blue food coloring for purple frosting. 

Colored Sugars:

Place 1/2 cup sugar and drop of green food coloring in a jar or zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar. Repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow food coloring. For purple, combine 1 drop red and one drop blue food coloring before adding to remaining 1/2 cup sugar. 

Wishing you the most wonderful of Mardi Gras!! Toodles!