Recipe - New Orleans Kings Cake

2 pack Active dry yeast
2 teaspoon Granulated sugar
One half cup Lukewarm water
4 One half cup All purpose flour
One half cup Granulated sugar
2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
One half cup Lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon Grated lemon peel
5 Egg yolks
One half cup Butter; cut into small
pieces
2 tablespoon Butter; divided
1 Dried red kidney bean; or
pecan half, or small
plastic baby.
1 Egg; beaten with 1 T. milk
Additional butter for top of
cake
Sugar tinted green; yellow,
and purple., (see other
recipes)

Sprinkle yeast and 2 T sugar over lukewarm water. Let soften. Stir, then
let sit about 10 minutes, until light and bubbly. Mix 3 One half cups of flour,
One half cup sugar, salt and nutmeg well. Add yeast mixture, milk and lemon
peel. Work mixture together well with an electric mixer or by hand. Add egg
yolks and beat in well. Work in One half cup butter and continue to beat until
butter is incorporated and mixture is smooth.

Either chane to a dough hook, or turn dough out on floured board and knead
until smooth and elastic, working in remaining 1 cup flour gradually. Dough
will not be sticky when ready.

Butter a bowl with 1 T butter; put in ball of dough and turn to coat all
sides. Cover with a towel, put in a draftfree place and let rise until
double in bulk, about 1 One half to 2 hours.

Brush baking sheet with remaining 1 T butter. Turn dough out on floured
board and form into a roll about 14 or 15 inches long. (This can be done
with the hands). Put roll on prepared baking sheet and form into a ring or
oval shape, pressing ends together to seal. Push bean or baby or nut into
the cake from the bottom so that it is not visible from the top. Cover with
a towel and put in draftfree, warm place to rise until double in size, 45
minutes to an hour.

Brush top of cake with eggmilk wash. Bake in middle of a preheated 375
degree oven until brown...about 25 minutes. Slide cake onto wire rack to
cool.

Butter top of cooled cake, spread colored sugars over top of cake, using
each color to form bands of green, yellow, purple.

Posted to BakeryShoppe Digest V1 #499 by Lee Ann Hamm lhamm@premier.net
on Jan 10, 1998