Mardi Gras King Cake

SERVES: 8

COOK TIME: 20 Min

In keeping up with Mardi Gras tradition we came up with this recipe for Mardi Gras King Cake that's so good it's guaranteed to keep the party going and going and going. Our king cake recipe features classic cinnamon flavor and a sugary glaze in traditional colors!

What You'll Need

1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 (16.3-ounce) package refrigerated flaky layer biscuits (8 biscuits)
Red, blue, yellow, and green food color
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to Do

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon; mix well. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the bottom of the pie plate. Place butter in a small bowl.
Separate each biscuit into 3 layers. Dip biscuit pieces one at a time in melted butter. Layer 8 biscuit pieces in bottom of pie plate, then evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar-cinnamon mixture. Repeat layers 2 more times, and drizzle with any leftover melted butter.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until biscuits are golden and cooked through. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, evenly divide remaining sugar into 3 separate small, resealable plastic bags. Add 5 drops red and 5 drops blue food color to one bag to create purple sugar; mix well. Add 6 drops yellow food color to another bag; mix well. Add 6 drops green food color to remaining bag; mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, water, and vanilla until mixture forms a smooth glaze. Spread glaze over top of cake. Sprinkle colored sugar over glaze to decorate cake as seen in photo.

Notes

Did You Know? It's traditional to hide a baby figurine inside the cake. Whoever finds the baby in their piece has to make next year's king cake or host next year's party! (We prefer hiding a gumdrop or bean since it's more practical and safer.)
Another New Orleans traditional favorite is beignets! Ya gotta try our easy version!