MINI KING CAKES

Mini King Cakes

One of the wonderful traditions of Mardi Gras, and probably the most delicious, is the King Cake.  These old-fashioned sweet cinnamon swirled Mini King Cakes are my twist on traditional 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 gold coin sprinkles for some special Mardi Gras fun! 

​My family prefers this tender and moist King Cake to the more traditional bread-like King Cake. And it’s so much fun when everyone finds a baby tucked in their individual cakelet for good luck! 

Mini King Cakes

WHAT MAKES THIS KING CAKE SPECIAL?

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 Mini King Cakes are truly a richer and tender coffeecake.  So flavorful, moist, and loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor, it will be your new favorite too!

These mini cakes don't require a lot of ingredients, but similar to pound cake, the ratio of those ingredients is imperative!  An abundance of moisture and the cakes will taste wet.  Too much flour and the cakes will taste dry - if you are able to weight your flour, all the better for accurate measurements!  Too many eggs and your cakes will taste eggy.  The ratio that works best is 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of butter, and 4 eggs.  Simple and easy - and a wonderfully balanced cake and crumb!  Pure vanilla extract and a touch of almond extract gives this a perfect taste, but the brown sugar and cinnamon swirl really make these little cakes shine!

Mini King Cakes

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. 

January 6th is the start of the Mardi Gras season, which ends on Fat Tuesday the day before Lent.  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.  

Mini King Cakes

MINI KING CAKES

One of the wonderful traditions of Mardi Gras, and probably the most delicious, is the King Cake.  These old-fashioned sweet cinnamon swirled Mini King Cakes are my twist on traditional 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. And it’s so much fun when everyone finds a baby tucked in their individual cakelet for good luck! 

Mini King Cakes

INGREDIENTS:
Cinnamon King Cake:
1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream (room temperature)
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon almond 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
Miniature Plastic Babies (available on Amazon) or Whole Almonds
 
HOW I MAKE THESE:

1. Remove butter, eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a mini bundtlette cake 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 each cavity of the pan; set aside.
3. Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
5. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract.  Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat everything just until incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX!  Batter will be very creamy and thick.
6. Make Cinnamon Swirl Batter:  Place 1 cup of the prepared Cake Batter in a small bowl and add the cinnamon, brown sugar and milk; stir just until well combined; set aside.
7. Spoon Cake Batter into the bottom of each pan cavity until each is 1/3 full.  Spoon several tablespoons of Cinnamon Swirl Batter into each well.  Spoon several more tablespoons of Cake Batter on top of the Cinnamon Swirl Batter.  Each cavity should be filled no more than 2/3 full.  Using a small knife, gently pull the knife blade through the batter, swirling the batters together gently – only a time or two around each cakelet. (You will have batter leftover – set aside for now to prepare and bake after your first batch is done – unless you are lucky enough to have multiple bundlette pans!)
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when lightly poked with your finger. Remove from the oven and allow to cool inside the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully invert the pan on the counter or wire rack. Give the pan a little shake so the cakes release.
9. Allow cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before icing and serving.
10. 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.
11. 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, and leaf green.
12. Insert the Plastic Baby:  It is tradition to tuck a small plastic baby into the bottom of King Cakes, or a whole almond, which signifies good luck to whomever gets that piece of King Cake!  It’s easiest to insert these into each cakelet before drizzling with frosting.  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.
13. Drizzle each color of Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cooled cakelets.  Sprinkle with sprinkles (if desired).
14. Serve immediately or cover and store leftover iced cakes at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

YIELD:  9 mini cakes

INSPIRED BY:  Great Gram and my Mom

​RECIPE NOTES:

• Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions: You can make the mini pound cakes ahead of time by freezing them. Bake, cool, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a large airtight container. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before icing and serving. Freezes well up to 2 months.
• Pans: If you don’t have a mini bundtlette pan, you can use a large muffin pan or mini loaf pans, or a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan. A regular or full-size bundt cake pan is a little too large for this recipe. The bake times and yields vary with the pan you use. Fill the pans 2/3 full with batter. If using a large muffin tin, bake for approximately 18-20 minutes.  For a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan, fill with all of the batter (which is about 2/3 full anyway!) and bake for about 50 minutes.  When the cakes are lightly brown and spring back when lightly poked with your finger, they are done. Use a toothpick to test for doneness - the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with no raw batter.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. It really makes a difference!

Originally posted March 2012; revised and reposted February 2021.

© SnowflakesandCoffeecakes.  All images, attachments & content are copyright protected unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to www.snowflakesandcoffeecakes.com.

NEVER MISS A NEW RECIPE!  FOLLOW ME ON
​FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

Be My Valentine Charcuterie Board

Raspberry French Silk Pie

Football Charcuterie Board