Amazing 1-Rise King Cake Soft Recipe

Oh boy, get ready to kick off the Carnival season! January always feels like it needs a little spark, and nothing delivers that joy quite like slicing into a vibrant, beautifully decorated King Cake. If you’ve ever tried making one only to end up with something dry or with icing that just slides right off into a sugary puddle, trust me, I’ve been there! That’s why I worked overtime testing dough hydration and sugar ratios. This recipe right here is my tried-and-true method for the softest, most authentic New Orleans Style King Cake you can make at home, complete with that gorgeous, thick cinnamon swirl you dream about.

SAVE IT

I’m Carla Davis, and here at Carla’s Cooking, my whole deal is taking those soulful, comforting recipes from my family’s past and making them work for our busy lives now. You can read a little more about how I got started when life got hectic over on my About page! This recipe is a labor of love—fully tested to ensure you get that delightful brioche texture and the icing stays put long enough for the whole party to enjoy. You want community and fun? This is the cake that brings it!

Why This Recipe Makes the Best King Cake for Your Celebration

Look, there are a lot of King Cake recipes out there, but ours is special because we focus on what really matters: texture and tradition! I didn’t want a sturdy bread; I wanted something tender that melts in your mouth, just like what they serve in the best bakeries down in New Orleans. This recipe tackles all the common pitfalls head-on.

• The Softest Brioche Texture: We use a precise blend of milk and butter in the dough to ensure it stays beautifully soft for days. You won’t wrestle with dry bread here!
• Seriously Perfect Cinnamon Swirl: I made sure the filling turns into a thick, buttery paste, not a gritty powder mess. This keeps that rich cinnamon swirl intact right through the center.
• Icing That Stays Put: Forget icing running off the sides before the cake even hits the table. My glaze recipe sets up nicely, holding those gorgeous purple, green, and gold sugars right where they belong.
• Keeps the Tradition Alive: Of course, we hide that little plastic baby inside! Finding it means you get the fun job of hosting the next party, which is what Mardi Gras is all about—community and celebration!

Essential Ingredients for an Authentic **King Cake**

This is a yeast cake, so just like when I make my famous cinnamon rolls, the yeast has to be happy! Fresh yeast and room-temperature eggs make all the difference in getting that soft, brioche-like crumb we are after. Don’t skimp here; quality ingredients are key for a showstopping King Cake. I’ve broken down exactly what you need for the dough, the decadent filling, and the vibrant finish.

If yeast seems tricky, remember that this cake rewards patience—just like when I’m focusing on careful cinnamon roll recipes. Make sure your milk is the right temp; it’s vital!

For the Brioche-Style **King Cake** Dough

• 1 cup warm milk (It needs to be about 110°F—test it with a candy thermometer! Too hot kills the yeast.)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided (Keep the yeast-teaspoon separate!)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature (Cold eggs will shock the butter and stop the creaming process.)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (This is just for a hint of spice in the dough itself.)

For the Cinnamon Swirl Filling

This filling mixture needs to be thick—you are basically making a brown sugar butter paste!

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (Yes, this is a lot! It’s how we get that flavor punch.)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Glaze and **Purple Green Gold Cake** Decoration

These toppings bring the party! Remember, the colors have meaning: purple is for Justice, green is for Faith, and gold is for Power. Decorate generously!

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk or water (We’ll add just enough for stability.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar (The coarse kind holds its color best!)
• 1 small plastic baby (Don’t forget this tradition for the next party host!)

Step-by-Step Instructions to Bake Your **King Cake**

Okay, this is where the real magic happens! Since this is a yeast dough, we need to give it time and warmth to develop that gorgeous, slightly sweet, brioche texture. I know it feels like a lot of rising time, but trust me, skipping that second rise just gives you a heavy product. When I make my sourdough loaves, I learned that patience with the yeast pays off ten-fold in flavor and texture down the road!

Activating Yeast and Mixing the **King Cake** Dough

First things first: make that yeast happy! In a small bowl, gently mix your warm milk, the yeast, and just one teaspoon of that granulated sugar. Let it sit for about ten minutes. If it gets foamy on top, excellent! That means your yeast is alive and ready to work its rising magic.

Now, in your big mixing bowl—I use my stand mixer for this—combine the rest of the sugar, your room temperature eggs, the softened butter, and the salt. Mix that just until it comes together. Then, slowly add the yeast mixture and about three cups of your flour. Mix on low. Once it looks shaggy, start adding the last cup of flour until the whole thing starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Now, add that teaspoon of cinnamon meant for the dough! Knead it for about 6 to 7 minutes until it feels smooth and springy. It should be soft, but definitely not sticky anymore.

First Rise and Preparing the Cinnamon Swirl Filling

Lightly oil your bowl—the one you mixed it in works fine—and put that dough ball inside, turning it over once so it’s coated in a thin film of oil. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Slide it somewhere warm. If your kitchen is chilly, I sometimes put it in an oven that’s totally off, but with just the light on. Let it hang out for an hour to an hour and a half, or until it’s doubled in size. Don’t peek too much!

While that dough is puffing up, get your filling ready. This needs to be a thick paste! Just mix that brown sugar, the two tablespoons of cinnamon, and the melted butter together in a bowl. You want it spreadable but definitely dense—we don’t want a watery filling leaking out during the bake!

Shaping the **Mardi Gras King Cake** Ring

Once the dough has had its good rest, gently punch it down—I mean, really gentle! On a lightly floured counter, roll that dough out into a big rectangle, roughly 12 by 18 inches. Take your butter/cinnamon filling and brush it everywhere across the surface, leaving just a tiny border clear on one of the long edges—that’s your seal.

SAVE IT

Starting on the long side, roll that dough up as tightly as you can, like a jelly roll. Pinch that long seam together firmly! Now, gently form this log into a ring shape. Make sure you overlap the ends significantly and pinch them together really well. If you’re tradition-bound, this is the moment to carefully tuck the plastic baby inside the dough now, sealing it up good! Set your ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Give it one more gentle cover and let it rest again for 30 to 45 minutes to puff up nicely. While it’s resting, go ahead and crank your oven up to 375°F (190°C).

Baking, Cooling, and Glazing the **King Cake**

Bake your beautiful cake for about 25 to 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it! If the top starts getting brown way too fast—like before the center is cooked—just loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over it. When it’s golden and smells incredible, pull it out! Let it cool totally on a wire rack. This is super important: if you try to glaze it warm, all that lovely icing will melt into a thin mess. You want it completely cool.

SAVE IT

For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and just enough milk or water to get a thick, pourable consistency. It should drip slowly off your whisk, not stream fast. Drizzle this generously over the fully cooled cake. And the finale? Immediately dust it heavily with your purple, green, and gold sugars before the icing has a chance to set up. Enjoy the color explosion!

Tips for a Perfect Cinnamon Swirl Bread Ring Texture

Getting this yeast dough right is more intuition than strict measuring sometimes, but I’ve learned a few non-negotiables over the years making things like this beautiful King Cake and my favorite challah bread.

First, don’t fight the dough when kneading! We want elasticity, not aggression. If you knead it until it’s super dry, you’ll end up with a cake that’s brittle instead of soft. Stop kneading the moment it passes the windowpane test—it should be smooth and stretchy, not tearing immediately.

Second, about that filling: make sure that melted butter is fully incorporated into the brown sugar and cinnamon. If you leave any dry sugar pockets, they can leach moisture out of the dough structure while the cake bakes, resulting in those little crumbly tunnels instead of a clean swirl. You want that filling paste to be uniform!

Finally, when you roll up the log, really focus on making the seal tight. If the seam pulls apart while baking, the sticky filling leaks out and glues itself to your parchment paper. That’s a sad sight, trust me! Pinch it hard, and make sure the ring joins are firmly fused before the final rise.

Making Your **New Orleans kingcake** Icing Non-Drip

This is the detail that separates a good King Cake from a great one! Nobody wants to spend all that time baking only to have the icing run down the sides and pool on the platter. When you mix that glaze—just powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or water—start slow with your liquid. I mean drop by tiny drop the first few times.

You are aiming for what I call a ‘soft peak glaze.’ It should look thick and almost pasty in the bowl. When you lift your whisk, it should fall back down in heavy ribbons, not run off like water. If you accidentally add too much liquid, don’t panic! Just whisk in a little more powdered sugar until that thick ribbon consistency returns. This thickness is what allows the glaze to set quickly and hold all those gorgeous purple, green, and gold colors right on top of your beautiful New Orleans kingcake!

SAVE IT

Storage and Serving Suggestions for Your **King Cake**

This King Cake is so tender, it honestly tastes fantastic the next day, too! Once it’s completely cooled and glazed, you absolutely must store any leftovers in an airtight container right on the counter. Seriously, skip the fridge; the cold air will turn this brioche-style dough hard faster than you can say *Laissez les bons temps rouler*!

If you want to bring back that fresh-baked softness a day or two later, just pop a slice in the microwave for about 10 or 15 seconds. It warms up those buttery swirls perfectly. I love serving leftover slices warmed up with a big mug of my favorite rich hot chocolate—you can find my recipe right here! Nothing beats that combination when the weather gets chilly around here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Making a **King Cake**

I always get questions after people see a recipe this special! It’s a yeast cake, so it demands a little more attention than, say, a quick bread. But don’t worry, I’ve made it as painless as possible. If you’ve got a question, chances are someone else does too! Feel free to check my main blog page for more quick tips and kitchen thoughts if you are still curious about anything else!

What if I don’t have time for two rises in this **King Cake** recipe?

This is the hardest part of timing a King Cake! Those two rises are non-negotiable if you want that signature soft, pillowy texture. The first rise builds the structure and flavor foundation, and the second rise gives the cake the final airy lift before baking. If you try to rush things or skip the second rise completely, you’ll end up with a cake that is dense, tough, and won’t have that lovely chew of a good brioche bread ring. I know life is hectic, but give the yeast the time it asks for!

Can I substitute the cinnamon filling in this **New Orleans kingcake**?

You absolutely can tweak the filling, although that cinnamon sugar swirl is the heart of the classic Mardi Gras flavor profile! If you are looking for something different, a plain cream cheese filling works beautifully—just make sure the cream cheese block is chilled when you mix it with the sugar and cinnamon so it stays thick. Some folks also use a simple raspberry or apricot preserve. But honestly, for your first time making an authentic New Orleans kingcake, stick with the cinnamon. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the glaze!

What do I do after I find the baby in the **King Cake**?

This is the best part and what makes these cakes so much fun! If you are the lucky person who bites into that tiny plastic baby (make sure you tell everyone you are looking for it first!), the tradition says you are crowned King or Queen for the day, and more importantly, you are responsible for hosting the next King Cake party! It’s all about passing the fun along, which is exactly the community spirit I love about the Carnival season.

Estimated Nutritional Data for This King Cake Recipe

I always try to provide some basic nutritional estimates for my baked goods, just so you have a general idea. Since this is a rich, brioche-style King Cake packed with butter and sugar, it definitely falls into the ‘treat’ category, not your average Tuesday dinner!

These numbers below are based on one slice, assuming you get 12 slices out of the whole ring. Please keep in mind these figures are just estimates. The actual nutrition can change quite a bit depending on the exact brands of flour, butter, or sugar you use. We aren’t trying to stick to a strict weight loss program here; we are celebrating Mardi Gras!

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 35g
• Sodium: 180mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 50g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: 55mg

Share Your Festive **King Cake** Creations

Now that your gorgeous, soft, cinnamon-swirled King Cake is baked, glazed, and sparkling with purple, green, and gold—it’s time for the fun part: sharing it! I truly hope this recipe brought a little bit of that New Orleans spirit right into your kitchen this Carnival season.

I want to see how your creations turned out! Did the glaze set perfectly? Did your family fight over who got the slice with the baby? Drop a comment down below and tell me all about it. If you snapped a picture of your beautiful purple green gold cake, please tag me on social media! Sharing your baking successes makes my day, honestly.

If this recipe worked its magic for your celebration and you’re feeling generous, leaving a 5-star rating right under the recipe card is the highest compliment you can give me. It helps other home cooks find this reliable recipe when they start planning their Mardi Gras festivities. If you have any specific questions that weren’t covered here, you can always reach out directly through my Contact page. Happy bakes, enjoy the party!

New Orleans Style King Cake with Cinnamon Swirl

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A soft, brioche-like ring cake filled with cinnamon sugar, glazed, and decorated with traditional purple, green, and gold sugars for Mardi Gras celebrations.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 45 min
• Cook Time: 35 min
• Total Time: 3 hr 0 min
• Yield: 1 large cake 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American (New Orleans)
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for dough)
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar (for filling)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for filling)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for filling)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
• 2 tablespoons milk or water (for icing)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
• Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar (for decoration)
• 1 small plastic baby (optional)

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Instructions

1. Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the remaining granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and salt. Mix until just combined.
3. Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the dough.
4. First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and melted butter until it forms a thick paste.
6. Shape the cake: Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches. Brush the entire surface with the melted butter reserved for the filling, then evenly spread the cinnamon filling mixture over the dough.
7. Roll and form: Starting with the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam closed. Form the log into a ring or oval shape, joining the ends and pinching firmly to seal. If using the plastic baby, insert it into the cake now.
8. Second Rise: Place the ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
9. Bake: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust liquid for desired consistency; you want a thick glaze that sets but does not run off completely.
11. Decorate: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle generously with the purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.

Notes

• For a softer cake, consider using the same approach as preparing a simple meal planning recipe: measure accurately and do not over-knead the dough.
• The traditional colors represent Justice (purple), Faith (green), and Power (gold).
• If you are looking for alternatives to traditional baking, this recipe is not suitable for keto meal plan delivery options.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 35
• Sodium: 180
• Fat: 15
• Saturated Fat: 9
• Unsaturated Fat: 6
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 50
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 55