King Cake with Blackberry Icing
In my humble opinion, if life gives you an opportunity to celebrate with pastry, then by all means, do it! Even if it’s not your tradition, even if it’s not that big of a deal… why would you pass up an opportunity? That’s how I feel about Fat Tuesday. I don’t think we’ll be doing much Mardi Gras celebrating this year, but I’ll be damned if I pass up the opportunity to eat some cake to mark the day. Enter King Cake.
The problem with the King Cakes I’ve had is that they’re not particularly good. They just kind of taste like coffee cake with the fake fruit filling. It’s really not shocking, seeing as we’re so far north, so they’re not exactly “authentic” and I think the only ones I’ve had came from grocery stores. Recipe for disaster. The other problem with King Cake is that it’s traditionally covered in colored sugar or icing. And you know how I feel about food coloring… wait, do you know how I feel about food coloring? I don’t much like it. But both of those problems are both easily solved when you make it yourself. And so, to the kitchen I went.
I want to make it clear from the get-go that I make no assertions that this is the “authentic” or “traditional” king cake recipe. So you don’t have to worry about telling me if I’m far off. I’m sure it’s somewhat treasonous to make a King Cake without Purple, Yellow, and Green colored icing and sugars, and for that, I’m sorry. But if you’re like me and want to get all festive without getting all food-colored up, then this recipe is for you.
The cake itself is based on several “traditional” recipes I found, and is basically just a yeasted bread dough… kind of like coffee cake. Actually a lot like coffee cake. The crumb is tender, the crust turns a beautiful dark golden brown, and the butter and cinnamon flavors of the filling permeate the whole cake, without being too sweet. Pretty much gorgeous. And more good news about my naturally dyed purple frosting… it actually tastes good! A little like fresh blackberries! Imagine that! And just because I really did want to make a good faith effort to be true to the original, I grated a bit of lemon peel on top to replace the yellow sugar. I didn’t go so far as to come up with something green… although a sprinkle of pistachios may have been yummy?
What I wound up with is a cake worthy of a celebration in itself, and one that I’d happily make (and eat!) any day of the year. Happy Mardi Gras, all!
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water (around 110 degrees)
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus possibly a bit more
- Filling:
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons of melted butter
- Icing:
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular, large bowl if you don't have a mixer), combine yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and warm water. Stir gently and let sit for about 5 minutes while you complete the next step, or until it's nice and foamy and bubbly.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Then, add in the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and the salt, stirring to combine. Add in the sour cream and continue stirring until the sour cream has warmed through, to about 110 degrees F.
- To the yeast in your mixing bowl, now add the butter and sour cream mixture, the egg, and 1 cup of the flour. Whisk until smooth. At this point, if you are using your stand mixer, put the bowl in the mixer and attach the dough hook. Add in the rest of the flour in 1/2 cup increments while mixing on medium-low speed. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky. Now, continue to knead the dough in the mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until it's smooth and elastic. (If you don't have a stand mixer, use a wooden spoon to stir in the last two cups of flour, then turn dough out onto an oiled surface, and knead the dough with well-oiled hands for 5-10 minutes.) Once the dough is the right consistency, place it in a well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allowing it to rise in a warm place for about an hour (or until it's about doubled in size).
- At some point while the dough is rising, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside.
- When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the dough and a rolling pin. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 18 inches long by 14 inches wide. Brush the rectangle all over with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top, leaving a 1" border of dough all around. Roll the rectangle snugly and firmly starting at the top of the 14" sides. When you get to the bottom, pinch the seam shut.
- Carefully move the roll to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Connect the ends to form an oval and press the edges together to completely seal the ends.Cover the cake with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the cake and bake in the upper third of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is a deep, golden brown. Immediately transfer the cake to a cooling rack after removing it from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Place the blackberries in a small wire-mesh strainer over a slightly larger bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press blackberries against the mesh, squeezing out the juice. You won't get too much juice, probably just a few tablespoons, but that's just fine. Whisk in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk until the icing is completely smooth. Depending on how thick you like your icing, add more powdered sugar (thicker), or more milk (thinner). After the cake has had a chance to cool, drizzle the icing over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the icing dry for a few minutes, then sprinkle a bit of lemon zest on the top.
- Serve either warm or room temperature.