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Cream Cheese Stuffed King Cake Recipe

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3.9 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Sara
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings

Description

This Cream Cheese Stuffed King Cake is a festive, sweet braided bread filled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and a luscious cream cheese filling. Featuring a tender homemade dough enriched with warm spices and lemon zest, the cake is braided into a beautiful oval shape and baked to golden perfection. After cooling, it is topped with a smooth lemon-vanilla icing and decorated with vibrant purple, green, and gold sanding sugars, making it a perfect centerpiece for celebrations such as Mardi Gras.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted)
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 600 grams all purpose flour (about 4.5 cups), plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Cinnamon Filling

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks, softened)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Decoration

  • Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar for decorating

Instructions

  1. Prep: Two hours before starting, take out eggs, butter, and cream cheese to soften to ensure proper mixing and texture.
  2. Bloom the yeast: Heat milk to 100-110°F, pour into a stand mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, and let sit for 10 minutes until bubbling and foamy to activate the yeast.
  3. Prepare the dough: Grease a large bowl for proofing. Add eggs, melted butter, white sugar, and vanilla extract into the mixer bowl with yeast mixture and mix with dough hook until combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle in flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest. Start mixing on low speed, gradually increase to high, scraping sides as needed, until dough forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball. Add flour by tablespoons if dough is too sticky.
  5. Knead the dough: Transfer to floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes until elastic. Form into a ball and place in greased bowl, cover with damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  6. Make cinnamon filling: In a small bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  7. Make cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, white sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice on low, then high speed until smooth. Transfer to piping bag and set aside.
  8. Shape the dough: After proofing, turn dough onto floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a 10 x 18 inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
  9. Assemble fillings: Spread half the softened butter on each rectangle, then sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly. Pipe half the cream cheese filling along one long edge of each rectangle.
  10. Roll and twist: Roll each rectangle from the long edge, seal seam by wetting and pinching. Gently stretch each roll to about 24 inches for ease of twisting.
  11. Shape the king cake: Place the two rolls side-by-side on a greased and parchment-lined baking sheet. Twist rolls around each other to form an oval shape. Seal ends together and tuck seams under.
  12. Second rise: Cover with damp cloth, let rise in warm place for 30 minutes until almost doubled in size again.
  13. Prevent spreading: Roll foil into an oval, spray with cooking spray, and place in center of cake to help maintain shape while baking.
  14. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush cake with lightly beaten egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before icing.
  15. Prepare icing and decorate: Mix powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Pour over cooled cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.

Notes

  • Softening ingredients ahead helps achieve smooth dough and creamy fillings.
  • If the dough is sticky, add flour gradually, one tablespoon at a time, to avoid over-drying.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for better incorporation.
  • The foil center keeps the king cake’s oval shape intact during baking.
  • Let cake cool completely before icing to prevent melting and sliding.
  • Store leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert, Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American, Cajun

Find it online: https://saraflavors.com/cream-cheese-stuffed-king-cake-recipe/