King Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
• 2 eggs
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (16 ounces total)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 2 drops blue food coloring
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 2 drops blue food coloring

Recipe

• 1 cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts; cool mixture to 100 degrees to 110 degrees.
• 2 dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes; add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth; gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• 3 turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top; cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
• 4 using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese until smooth; add egg and blend well; add sugar, salt and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy; set aside.
• 5 punch dough down; divide in half; turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle; spread half each of cream cheese mixture on dough; roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side; place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet; bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and punching edges together to seal; repeat with remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.
• 6 cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• 7 bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
• 8 decorate with bands of colored frostings, and sprinkle with colored sugars.
• 9 colored frostings: stir together powdered sugar and melted butter; add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla; divide frosting into 3 batches, tinting 1 green, 1 yellow, and combining red and blue food coloring for purple frosting.
• 10 colored sugars: place 1/2 cup sugar and drop of green food coloring in a zip-top plastic bag; seal; shake and squeeze vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar; repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow food coloring; for purple, combine 1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring before adding to remaining 1/2 cup sugar.