Enjoy the fun Mardi Gras tradition of eating King cake without spending all your time in the kitchen. Your friends and family will think that you've spent hours creating this delicious cake.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the bread dough into a 9 x 11 rectangle. Brush lightly with melted butter, reserving about a ½ teaspoon for later use. Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle liberally over the melted butter. Starting at the long end of the rectangle, tightly roll the bread into a long tube. Shape the tube into an oval and lay on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.
Once the cake has cooled slightly, hide the plastic baby inside the cake. Mix powdered sugar with a few drops of milk until a smooth consistency is reached. Ice the cake while it is warm. Decorate with colored sugars.
The History of the King Cake
January 6 is the Christian celebration known as Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King's Day. It is a time to honor the Three Wise Men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Baby Jesus. It also marks the start of Carnival celebrations that lead up to Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. One tradition that is still going strong in New Orleans is the sharing of a King Cake with friends and family. The oval cake shape represents the unity of faiths. The colored sugars represent traditional Mardi Gras colors: Purple - justice, green - faith and gold - power. The plastic baby represents baby Jesus. Tradition has it that the person who finds the plastic baby in his piece of cake will be greeted with good luck and become King for the day! It is also said that he who gets this piece of cake, must provide the next King cake or party on the following day of the celebration. Enjoy!
About the Author:
Tami Rose lives in North Carolina with her husband and 2 children. She is always on the
lookout for fun, easy crafts that any age group can make. She is the Assistant Administrator on the FamilyCorner.com forums. You can find her there under the username of "ajrsmom". She is also the Assistant Editor for FamilyCorner.com and provides valuable support for the website.
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