KING CAKE [CINNAMON SWIRLED BUNDT CAKE]

King Cake

This old-fashioned sweet cinnamon swirled bundt cake is my twist on King Cake.  Cinnamon and brown sugar cake is marbled with a buttery yellow cake in this easy recipe, drizzled with cream cheese glaze in traditional purple, green and gold Mardi Gras colors, and topped with sprinkles for some special Mardi Gras fun!  My family prefers this tender and moist King Cake to the more traditional bread-like King Cake.

While a "traditional" King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, covered with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugar, my King Cake is truly a richer and tender coffeecake.  So flavorful, moist, and loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor, it will be your new favorite too!

Cinnamon King Cake

THE KING CAKE STORY.

On the Christian calendar, the 12th day after Christmas is celebrated as the date that the Magi visited the baby Jesus bearing gifts.  This day, January 6, is known by several names including “Epiphany”, “12th Night” or “King’s Day.” The celebration of this event has evolved over the centuries with each culture adding its own unique rituals.  As part of the New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration, it is traditional to bake a cake in honor of the three Kings – the King Cake.  King Cakes are oval-shaped to symbolize unity of faith.  Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple (representing justice), green (representing faith) and Gold (representing power).  The small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally hidden inside each King Cake. 

Like the biblical story, the search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in which slice of cake the baby will be discovered.  While custom holds that the person who finds the baby will be rewarded with good luck, that lucky person is also traditionally responsible for bringing a King Cake to the next party or gathering.

The ”traditional” King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, covered with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugar.  Every bakery in New Orleans creates their special King Cakes, and many ship them all over for celebrations.  Because they are a "dough" rather than a true "cake", my opinion is that they tend to be on a dry side - and the ones that I have seen locally have an extreme amount of colored sugar sprinkled on the top - an EXCESSIVE amount of sugar that really gets in the way of enjoying a tender slice of cake.​

Mardi Gras King Cake

I baked up three of these King Cakes this year, and not one of them took me more than 5 minutes to put together.  Using a few shortcuts (a yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding), you are guaranteed a soft and tender cake, just bursting with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor.  

I also bake my bundt cakes at 325 degrees rather than a more traditional 350 degrees.  Bake for 45 minutes, then turn the pan a quarter turn and cover with foil - and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes.  Rather than a bundt cake that is too brown on the outside and uncooked in the middle, you are guaranteed a perfectly baked bundt cake every.single.time using this technique! 

​A beautiful rise to your cake, moist texture, and maximum flavor.  Who knew it was this simple?

King Cake

KING CAKE
(Cinnamon Swirled Bundt Cake)

This old-fashioned sweet cinnamon swirled bundt cake is my twist on King Cake.  Cinnamon and brown sugar cake is marbled with a buttery yellow cake in this easy recipe, drizzled with cream cheese glaze in traditional purple, green and gold Mardi Gras colors, and topped with sprinkles for some special Mardi Gras fun!  My family prefers this tender and moist King Cake to the more traditional bread-like King Cake.

King Cake

​INGREDIENTS:
Cinnamon King Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
½ cup vegetable oil or butter (melted)
1-1/4 cups water
4 large eggs (room temperature)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
Cinnamon Swirl:
1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk
 
Cream Cheese Glaze:
2 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half & half
Gel Food Coloring: bright yellow, purple & green
 
Garnish:
Gold, Green & Purple sprinkles
King Cake Plastic Baby or Whole Almonds
 
HOW I MAKE THESE:
1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray, or grease pan generously and sprinkle with flour, turning and tapping the pan so that the flour evenly coats all the nooks and crannies of the pan; set aside.

2.  Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix and instant pudding until well combined.  Add the vegetable oil and water and blend with a hand mixer until well mixed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each egg is added.  Don’t overmix!  This batter is thicker than a traditional cake batter.

3.  Make Cinnamon Swirl:  Place 2 cups of the prepared cake batter and add the cinnamon, brown sugar and milk; stir until well combined.

4.  Pour half of the Cake Batter into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan.  Using a ½-cup measuring cup, pour half of the Cinnamon Swirl batter on top of the Cake Batter.  Next, drizzle the remaining Cake Batter evenly on top.  Finally, spoon the remaining Cinnamon Swirl Batter on top.  Using a table knife, gently pull the knife blade through the batter, swirling the batters together gently – only a time or two around the pan.

5.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, then turn pan ½ turn and lightly tent with foil.  Continue baking for an additional 45 minutes. 

6.  Remove from oven, remove foil and cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

7.  Invert cake onto your serving platter and cool completely. 

8.  Insert the King Cake Plastic Baby:  It is tradition to tuck a small plastic baby into the bottom of the cake, or a whole almond, which signifies good luck to whomever gets that piece of King Cake!   NOTE: DO NOT BAKE THE KING CAKE WITH THE PLASTIC BABY!  Insert it into the bottom of the cake after it is cooled, by tipping the side of the cake up slightly and pushing the plastic baby into the bottom.  You can also use a whole almond in place of a plastic baby.

9.  Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting:  Combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until light and fluffy (with either a hand mixer or an electric mixer).  Add powdered sugar, vanilla and ¼ cup of the half & half.  Blend slowly, adding additional half & half until the frosting reaches the consistency you want for drizzling.

10.  Divide the Cream Cheese Frosting into three separate small bowls, add a few drops of gel food coloring and stir well so that you have one bowl of yellow, one bowl of bright purple or violet, and bright green.

11.  Drizzle each color of Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cooled cake.  Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles (if desired).

12.  Serve immediately or store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days - if it lasts that long!  Like most bundt cakes, the cake becomes moister and more flavorful the longer it sits.

YIELD:  12 servings

INSPIRED BY:  Great Gram and my Mom

THE KING CAKE STORY:  On the Christian calendar, the 12th day after Christmas is celebrated as the date that the Magi visited the baby Jesus bearing gifts.  This day, January 6, is known by several names including “Epiphany”, “12th Night” or “King’s Day.” The celebration of this event has evolved over the centuries with each culture adding its own unique rituals.  As part of the New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration, it is traditional to bake a cake in honor of the three Kings – the King Cake.  King Cakes are oval-shaped to symbolize unity of faith.  Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple (representing justice), green (representing faith) and Gold (representing power).  The small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally hidden inside each King Cake. 

Like the biblical story, the search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in which slice of cake the baby will be discovered.  While custom holds that the person who finds the baby will be rewarded with good luck, that lucky person is also traditionally responsible for bringing a King Cake to the next party or gathering.

The ”traditional” King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, covered with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugar. 

​Originally posted March 2012; Revised and reposted March 2019.

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