Bavarian Cream King Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide To Making It

King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition, with the festival beginning on the Twelfth Night of Jesus' birth and ending on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. The cake is round, like a crown, and is made with sweet dough and filled with different flavour fillings, traditionally cinnamon. It is topped with royal icing and coated in the colours of Mardi Gras: purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. A small plastic baby, symbolising baby Jesus, is hidden inside the cake and whoever finds it must provide the next King Cake.

Preparing the ingredients

Ingredients:

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients for both the cake and the Bavarian cream. For the cake, you will need puff pastry sheets, butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, egg wash, and powdered sugar. For the Bavarian cream, gather vanilla pudding, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk. Additionally, don't forget the purple, green, and yellow sugar sprinkles or crystals to decorate your cake in true Mardi Gras fashion!

Mixing the Dough:

Start by letting your puff pastry sheets thaw. While they are thawing, you can begin preparing the Bavarian cream. In a medium bowl, combine the vanilla pudding, heavy whipping cream, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix these ingredients until you achieve a thick, creamy consistency. Set this delicious cream aside for now.

Combining the Filling:

In a separate bowl, it's time to create the mouthwatering filling. Mix together the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter until they are well combined and form a cohesive mixture. This sweet and spicy filling will complement the Bavarian cream perfectly.

Assembling the Cake:

Now it's time to bring your cake to life! Open your puff pastry sheets and connect them using a little bit of water to form a continuous sheet. Spread the filling mixture evenly across the pastry, making sure to coat it thoroughly. Then, fold the pastry twice and use a rolling pin to flatten it out.

At this stage, you can add a thin layer of the Bavarian cream you prepared earlier. Roll each section closed and start braiding them together. Once you've mastered the art of braiding dough, connect the ends to create an oval shape, pinching them together to seal in all the goodness.

Baking and Decorating:

Brush the entire top surface of your cake with egg wash. This will give it a beautiful golden glaze when baked. Pop your cake into the oven and bake it for around 35 minutes, or until it turns a delightful golden brown. While the cake is cooling, it's time to make the icing. Simply mix together powdered sugar and water until you have a smooth and glossy icing.

Now, let your artistic side shine! Ice your King Cake and add the sprinkles or sugar crystals in alternating colors of purple, green, and yellow. These colors symbolize justice, faith, and power, respectively, and are an essential part of the Mardi Gras tradition.

And there you have it! You've prepared all the ingredients and are well on your way to creating a delectable Bavarian Cream King Cake.

Making the Bavarian cream

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract

Method:

Firstly, combine the vanilla pudding packet, heavy whipping cream, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture has thickened and set aside.

Now, you can begin to assemble the king cake. However, if you want to make the process easier, you can prepare the Bavarian cream a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator.

The Bavarian cream is an essential component of the Mardi Gras King Cake, which is a traditional dessert during the festival season. The cake is filled with delicious flavours and decorated with the colours of Mardi Gras: purple, green, and gold. A small plastic baby, symbolising baby Jesus, is also hidden inside the cake.

Preparing the puff pastry

To prepare the puff pastry, start by letting the puff pastry sheets thaw until they can be unfolded without breaking. This is an important step, as it will ensure that the pastry does not break when you unfold it and start to work with it. While the pastry is thawing, you can begin making the Bavarian cream.

Once the pastry has thawed, you can unfold and lay out the sheets. You will need four sheets of frozen puff pastry, and you will need to connect them using a little bit of water. This will create a large surface on which to spread the filling.

In a medium bowl, mix together the filling ingredients. For a traditional King Cake, you can use brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter. However, you can also get creative and experiment with other flavours, such as cream cheese or chocolate pecan. Make sure the filling is well combined, and then spread it evenly onto the puff pastry.

After the filling has been added, it is time to fold and roll the pastry. First, fold the pastry in twice, and then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a long rectangle. This will ensure that the filling is evenly distributed and that the pastry is nice and thin.

Next, cut the pastry into three sections lengthwise. Then, roll out each section with a rolling pin to make them even thinner. At this point, you can add a thin layer of Bavarian cream to each section if desired.

Finally, roll each section closed and begin to braid them together. This will give the King Cake its distinctive look. Once the braiding is complete, connect the ends of the pastry to create an oval shape, pinching the ends together to seal them.

Assembling the cake

Assembling the King Cake

Now that you have your dough, filling, and bavarian cream ready, it's time to assemble the cake! Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create a beautiful and delicious King Cake:

Step 1: Rolling and Filling the Dough

Roll out your dough sheets and lay them side by side, with the longer side facing you. This will give you a wide and short base to work on. Brush the dough with melted butter, and then sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon evenly over it.

Step 2: Adding the Bavarian Cream

Take your prepared bavarian cream and add half of it to the dough, spreading it in a long line. Don't place it exactly in the middle of the dough; instead, make it a little closer to you. You will only need half of the cream for this step, so save the rest for another cake or dessert.

Step 3: Rolling the Cake

Now, it's time to start rolling your King Cake. Begin by rolling the side closest to you away from yourself, creating a long, filled cylinder. Shape this into a long oval and place it seam-side down on a baking sheet. This forms the base of your cake.

Step 4: Baking the Cake

Bake your cake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until it turns a light golden brown. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't over-bake. Once done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. If any of the bavarian cream has escaped during baking, simply scoop it back into the cake.

Step 5: Preparing the Icing

While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing by mixing together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. You can adjust the consistency by adding more or less milk to create a smooth, drizzle-able icing.

Step 6: Icing and Decorating the Cake

Once your cake has cooled slightly but is still warm, it's time to ice it! Drizzle the icing over the cake, making sure to cover all the surfaces. Work quickly after icing to sprinkle the sanding sugars in the colours of Mardi Gras: purple, green, and yellow. Repeat the sprinkling process once or twice, depending on your desired intensity of colour.

Step 7: Adding the Surprise

Finally, add a small plastic baby in your cake, following the Mardi Gras tradition. This symbolises luck and prosperity, and the person who finds the baby in their slice is said to have good luck and is responsible for hosting the next party and providing the next King Cake!

Your Bavarian Cream King Cake is now ready to serve! Enjoy the delicious combination of buttery dough, cinnamon, and bavarian cream, all topped with colourful sugars. It's the perfect treat for Mardi Gras or any special occasion.

Baking and decorating

Once you have prepared your dough, filling, and icing, it's time to assemble and bake your Bavarian Cream King Cake. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create this delicious treat:

• Roll out your dough sheets and lay them side by side, with the longer side facing you. This will give you a wide and short shape to work with.
• Brush melted butter onto the dough sheets. This will help the other ingredients stick and add a rich flavour to your cake.
• Sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon evenly over the buttered dough. This step will give your cake a sweet and spicy flavour.
• Spread your Bavarian cream on top of the sugar and cinnamon layer. Make sure to leave a little space at the edges so that the cream doesn't spill out when you roll the dough.
• Start rolling the dough away from you, forming a long oval shape. Make sure to seal the edges properly to prevent any leakage of the cream during baking.
• Place your rolled dough, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. This will ensure that your cake holds its shape during baking.
• Bake your cake for 20-25 minutes at a temperature suitable for the type of dough you are using. The cake is ready when it is slightly browned.
• Once baked, scoop any escaping cream back into the cake and let it cool for about 10 minutes. This step will help set the shape and texture of your cake.
• Mix your icing ingredients (powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk) to create a smooth and glossy glaze. Adjust the consistency by adding more or less milk as needed.
• Drizzle the icing over the slightly cooled cake, making sure to cover the surface evenly.
• Working quickly, sprinkle sanding sugars in purple, green, and yellow colours on top of the icing. Traditional Mardi Gras colours represent justice (purple), faith (green), and power (gold).
• Finally, hide a small plastic baby inside your cake. This is a symbol of luck and prosperity, and the person who finds the baby in their slice is said to have good luck and is responsible for hosting the next party and providing the next King Cake!

Your Bavarian Cream King Cake is now ready to be served and enjoyed! It's a delicious and festive treat, perfect for Mardi Gras celebrations or any special occasion.

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