Crescent Roll King Cake
Grab your beads and let’s bake some Mardi Gras magic! This easy crescent roll king cake uses crescent roll dough for a quick and simple way to enjoy this festive treat.
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Here in the South, Christmas decorations are usually replaced shortly after the season has ended with Mardi Gras decorations. Even though I live three hours from the nearest Mardi Gras celebration, traditional Mardi Gras treats can still be found around town, like king cake! It’s a dessert made of sweet dough rolled around a decadent filling, then covered in frosting and decorated with sprinkles. It’s a delicacy that, unfortunately, is only available for a short window during a certain time of year.
King cakes can be a bit labor-intensive. The dough is made in a similar fashion as homemade bread — with yeast that you have to let rise for several hours in a warm place, then punch the dough down and let it rise again. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have that much time to devote to a recipe. Thankfully, I have discovered an easier way to make King cake anytime I want using crescent roll dough.
The origins of king cake
A traditional king cake celebrates the journey of the three wise men to see the Christ child twelve days after Christmas. This is also known as the Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King’s Day. A Mardi Gras king cake is full of symbolism. For instance, their oval shape symbolizes the circular path the three kings took on their return trip to avoid the evil King Herod (who wanted to kill Jesus). They are decorated with the traditional colors of Mardi Gras — purple to represent justice, green to represent faith, and gold to represent power. Each cake hides a small plastic baby to symbolize baby Jesus. Tradition dictates that whoever ends up with the plastic king cake baby in their slice of cake will experience luck and prosperity. It’s also that person’s responsibility to supply the next king cake.
The original king cake was filled with cinnamon and sugar. But you can also find them filled with cream cheese and fruit filling. King cakes usually appear at the grocery store on or around January 6th, which marks the beginning of Carnival season in New Orleans. King cake season ends on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which is 40 days before Easter Sunday.
Ingredients and tools you will need
Let’s roll up our sleeves and bake some festivity into your day! To make this easy king cake recipe, you will need:
- 2 (8-ounce) cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough – normally, I’m all about purchasing the cheaper store brands to save money when I can. However, in this case I do recommend going with Pillsbury. I’ve baked the cake using both store brand and name brand. The cake using Pillsbury original (not flaky) crescent rolls came out best.
- Small plastic baby figure – make sure it’s made from food-grade plastic.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Two tablespoons milk
- Yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar sprinkles
- Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
- Large baking sheet or round pizza pan
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- Cooking spray
How to make crescent roll king cake
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together at medium speed until the filling looks like wet sand.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Open two cans of crescent dough. Separate the Pillsbury dough sheets into squares and lay the squares end to end. You will have two rows of dough. Pinch together any seams.
- Spread half the filling down the center of one row. Carefully roll the dough up by the long sides. Repeat with the second row of dough. You will end up with two rolls.
- Carefully twist the two rolls together to form a rope. Bring the ends of the rope together to form a ring.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden brown. Don’t be alarmed if some of your filling seeps out. This is normal.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Once cooled, carefully hide the baby Jesus figure somewhere in the cake.
Make the icing and decorate
- While the cake is cooling, combine the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a medium mixing bowl. Beat for one minute using an electric mixer. If the icing seems too thick, add a few drops of milk.
- Spread the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip over the sides.
- While the icing is still wet, decorate alternating sections of the cake with the yellow, green, and purple sprinkles. Allow the icing to set before serving.
Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
Storage. Transfer any leftover king cake to an airtight container with a lid. The cake can be stored in a cool, dry place for a day or two. Any longer than that, store it in the refrigerator. Consume within four days.
Freezing. Carefully wrap the king cake in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze on a level surface. Consume within three months. Allow the cake to thaw completely before serving.
Reheating. King cake is traditionally served at room temperature. But if you enjoy it hot, simply reheat it for about 30 seconds to one minute in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Do what makes you feel comfortable. Some people get a little anxious over baking a piece of plastic in their cake. However, the majority of king cake babies are heat resistant and can withstand baking. I’ve done it both ways and have never had a plastic baby melt in my cake.
You can, but your cake may have a slightly different texture.
More Mardi Gras recipes
- Hurricane Cocktail
- How to Make Beignets [from scratch]
- Mini Muffuletta Sandwiches
- Chicken Jambalaya
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Crescent Roll King Cake
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1 Small plastic baby
For the filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the icing:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together until the filling looks like wet sand.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Open two cans of crescent roll dough. Separate the dough into squares and lay the squares end to end. You will have two rows of dough. Pinch together any seams.
- Spread half the filling down the center of one row. Carefully roll the dough up by the long end. Repeat with the second row of dough. You will end up with two rolls.
- Carefully twist the two rolls together to form a rope. Bring the ends of the rope together to form a ring.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat for one minute using an electric mixer.
- Just before icing the cake, carefully hide a plastic baby somewhere inside the cake.
- Spread the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip down over the sides. While the icing is still wet, alternate decorating sections of the cake with the yellow, green, and purple sprinkles.
- Allow the icing to set completely before serving.
Have a question? Made this recipe? Leave a comment!