Do you want to make the easiest king’s cake in the world for Fat Tuesday this year? Well, I can tell you how to do that. You know, since I’m the queen of cutting corners in the kitchen. 😉 You can make this in less that 30 minutes total and be serving it to your kids! Go ahead and submit yourself for that mother of the year award now! So here’s my super cute and easy king cake recipe.
King cake is a traditional cake eaten any time from the Epiphany all the way through Mardi Gras. This is known as the season of “Carnival” and is celebrated all over the world! To read more about the origin on King Cake and other Mardi Gras traditions, see my post containing Catholic traditions and celebration ideas for Mardi Gras.
If you’re in an adventurous mood, I also have a traditional and super delicious king cake recipe here. It takes like 2 1/2 hours to make though- you’ve been warned haha. If you’re still feeling lazy, continue on with the canned cinnamon roll directions.
Ingredients Needed For World’s Easiest King Cake
- 1 Can of ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls (with 6 cinnamon rolls, which most cans will have)
- Green, yellow, and purple sugar (Find my easy directions for making your own colored sugar here)
- A plastic baby, a nut, bean, or some kind of trinket to hide in the cake AFTER you bake it (optional)
First, remove all the cinnamon rolls from the can. You want to straighten them all out because you’re not going to use them in the spiral shape.
You’re going to take 3 unwound cinnamon rolls and braid them together. Then take the other 3 cinnamon rolls and braid those 3 together as well. That will give you 2 cinnamon roll braids.
You will use one braid to form the left side of the cake, and the other braid to form the right side of the cake. Pinch the 2 braids together to form a circle for your king’s cake. This is the traditional shape of the king cake as it symbolizes the crown of the king. Bake this according to package directions. Do NOT put the plastic baby in before baking lol.
Allow the cake to cool. Then, drizzle the icing that comes with them back and forth around the cake.
While the icing is still wet, sprinkle on purple, green, and yellow sugar.
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Again, you can easily make your own with my directions here!
Sprinkling the sugar is the super fun part that really transforms the cake and makes it absolutely adorable!
You can shove one of those plastic babies inside your king cake, or you can just put them on the plate like we did. (Or you can totally forgo the plastic babies. Whatev.)
Slice, serve, and enjoy!!!
What Happens If You Get The Prize From The King’s Cake?
Traditionally, the person who receives the little baby from the King cake is “king for the day”! Also, they are responsible for bringing the King Cake to the party for next year. In Catholic circles, I have seen that the person that gets the prize from the cake leads the rosary that evening for the group.
Check out all of my reources for celebrating Mardi Gras with Catholic families here
Print Recipe
Super Cute And Easy King Cake Recipe
Do you want to make the easiest king’s cake in the world for Fat Tuesday this year? Well, I can tell you how to do that.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread
Author: Lacy
Ingredients
- 1 can of ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls with 6 cinnamon rolls, which most cans will have
- Green, yellow, and purple sugar
- A plastic baby, a nut, bean, or some kind of trinket to hide in the cake AFTER you bake it optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to temperature listed on your cinnamon rolls.
Remove all the cinnamon rolls from the can. Straighten them all out because you’re not going to use them in the spiral shape.
Take 3 unwound cinnamon rolls and braid them together. Then take the other 3 cinnamon rolls and braid those 3 together as well. That will give you 2 cinnamon roll braids.
You will use one braid to form the left side of the cake, and the other braid to form the right side of the cake. Pinch the 2 braids together to form a circle for your king’s cake.
Bake this according to package directions.
Allow the cake to cool after baking.
After the cake has cooled, drizzle the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls back and forth around the cake.
While the icing is still wet, sprinkle on purple, green, and yellow sugar.
Add a plastic baby inside your king cake, or you can just put them on the plate, like we did. (Or you can totally forgo the plastic babies.)
FAQs
▪ The Millionaire king cake at the Palace Casino bakery has to be one of the most decadent ever, swirled chocolate and caramel, smothered in pecans and filled with a choice of cream cheese or Bavarian cream. It's one of 12 flavors in two sizes that can be found at Palace Cafe and Bakery.
How was the original king cake made? ›
It is believed that the king cake tradition originated in France and was brought to New Orleans in 1870. The French version of this local delicacy is made of an almond-filled puff pastry that gives off a flaky texture. It also features a decorative pattern and is sometimes topped with a paper crown.
What are 2 variations of king cake? ›
Classic King Cakes
You can choose from flavors such as strawberry cream cheese, pecan praline, lemon, apple, and more, but most will tell you that the traditional king cake from Randazzo's does the trick.
What is a voodoo king cake? ›
Voodoo King Cake
Filled with Bavarian cream and topped with chocolate ganache, coconut, and pecans.
What is the king cake rule? ›
When a king cake is served at a Mardi Gras celebration, everyone wants to know who was served the slice with the king cake baby—but what does it mean if you find one? Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake symbolizes luck and prosperity. As such, the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening.
Is king cake Catholic? ›
The history of the king cake came from European and Roman Catholic roots, which made its way into the New Orleans area in the 1870s. In contrast to the French king cakes, which are a flaky puff pastry, the New Orleans style is similar to the Spanish tradition, which is oval-shaped and topped with icing.
What does king cake symbolize? ›
The plastic baby symbolizes the infant Jesus because of the religious connection to King's Day. Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake piece symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening. The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake.
What day do you eat king cake in 2024? ›
Something like king cake is available year round, but those faithful to New Orleans tradition know it only has its cultural significance during Carnival season. That season will fly by this year, between the kick off on Jan. 6 and Fat Tuesday bringing down the curtain on Feb. 13.
What is the best flavor of king cake? ›
Two of the most popular flavors are the cream-cheese and our Praline king cake. In fact, it was in 2012 when Manny Randazzo's praline king cake was voted the best in a contest.
What is a Carnival king cake? ›
But more specifically, it's a frosted seasonal treat that Mardi Gras partygoers eat between January 6, otherwise known as King's Day or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday. Typically, king cake is made of a rich, brioche dough and a wide array of fillings, such as cinnamon, chocolate, and cream cheese.
What does a king cake taste like? King cake is a rich, sweet pastry flavored with cinnamon and sometimes contains cream cheese or pecans. It's called a cake, but it tastes more like a danish or cinnamon roll!
What is a New Orleans king cake? ›
The king cakes of New Orleans more closely resemble those of Spanish-speaking countries rather than the king cake that originated in France. Rosca de reyes, served in Spain and Latin America, is a ring-shaped sweet bread that can also be topped with candied fruit, in addition to a light layer of icing.
What day do you eat king cake? ›
For those who follow the convention, January 6th is when you can have your first slice of king cake. Although people begin having their sweet tooths ache in the waning December, all Mardi Gras veterans will say that the wait to eat king cake is what helps make it so irresistibly delicious!
Is king cake a Southern thing? ›
In the South, particularly Mobile, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Louisiana, the king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition. Normally served on Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday), the king cake is a ring of twisted sweet bread topped with icing or sugar.
What is so special about king cake? ›
The plastic baby symbolizes the infant Jesus because of the religious connection to King's Day. Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake piece symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening. The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake.
What is the prize in a king cake? ›
Traditionally, a small porcelain baby, symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of Louisiana to celebrate their Christian faith. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it.
What does a real king cake look like? ›
Originally, king cakes were a simple ring of dough with a small amount of decoration. After the rich dough is braided and baked, the top of the cake is covered with delicious sugar toppings in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold (purple for "justice," green for "faith" and gold for "power").
What does a very rich cake mean? ›
Rich is used to describe foods or flavours that are considered very good, but unpleasant in large quantities. e.g. the first cake was light and fluffy. I ate the whole slice. The second cake was very rich. it was thick and heavy, and although it was delicious, i could only eat a few mouthfuls.
