Mardi Gras is less than a month away, and that means king cake season has begun.
Willa Jean, a popular bakery that opened last year as part theBesh Restaurant Group, makes one that's composed oftwo dense rings of homemade cake filled with sliced bananas, salted caramel sauce, and mascarpone filling, and topped off with a praline glaze and sprinkled with edible gold.
Delivery is not available, but here's the recipe so you can make your own version at home. (And don't forget to hide a tinyplastic baby somewhere inside to continue this tradition.)
Lisa White's King of King Cakes
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest, divided
1 cup warm whole milk (about 95 degrees)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. dry yeast
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for kneading
1 cup butter, melted
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cups salted caramel sauce, divided
3 fresh bananas sliced diagonally
Mascarpone Filling (recipe follows)
3/4 cup toasted pecans
Praline Glaze (recipe follows)
2 to 3 sheets edible gold leaf
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add brown sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon orange zest. Beat until combined, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, place warm milk; add sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, and whisk until both the sugar and yeast are dissolved. Let stand until foamy. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine nutmeg, remaining flour, and remaining 3 teaspoons of cinnamon; fold flour mixture in the the milk mixture with a large rubber spatula. After the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.
4. Return dough to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, set aside in a draft-free place to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Punch dough down, and roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (about 20x20-inches); lightly spread with reserved brown sugar mixture may be refrigerated and used for another purpose.
6. Roll up long side of dough as tightly as possible, like a cinnamon roll, and pinch ends closed. Shape it into an oval shape, and tuck the ends under each other. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place dough on prepared baking sheet, and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes. Slice, allowing 1/3 of the cake for the top and 2/3 of the cake for the bottom. Spread 1 1/2 cups salted caramel sauce on bottom half, from edge to edge.
8. Top with banana, and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup salted caramel. Fill a resealable 1-quart plastic bag with Mascarpone Filling. Cut off a corner, and pipe it into the salted caramel, and add pecans. Top with remaining cake, and press lightly.
9. Place cake on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Using a ladle, slowly pour Praline Glaze over cake. Using a paring knife, transfer the gold leaf in several pieces to the top of the cake.
Mascarpone Filling
1 (8 ounce) container Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened - room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese; beat on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, and add mascarpone, and mix until smooth. Scrape down sides once again. Add salt and sugar, and mix until combined. Add lemon juice to taste, and mix until combined. Refrigerate until stiff.
Praline Glaze
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup praline liqueur
2 tbsp. molasses
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar and butter. Cook until the sugar is melted and mixture is bubbly, but do not stir too much. Slowly add cream, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Be careful, mixture may splatter. Whisk in praline liqueur and molasses. When mixture is ready, it will have a velvet sheen. Keep warm until using.
Sam Dangremond
Contributing Digital Editor
Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, co*cktails, travel, and the social scene.
