King Cakes and Sugar Cream Pies for the Super Bowl

Mardi Gras King Cake

tweaked liberally from a Southern Living recipe
Makes 1 round cake

Cake Dough
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 110°)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 3 – 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• Canola oil

Cream Cheese Filling
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Glaze
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon bourbon (can be omitted if you don’t drink)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• Lavender, green, and yellow finishing sugars or food coloring

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, and add sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, gently stir the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and the yeast with the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes while the yeast blooms.

Mix the sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the egg with the paddle attachment until well-incorporated. Add 1 cup flour at medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add more flour until a soft dough forms. You may not need the entire 3 1/2 cups.

Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on low for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will still be very soft and a touch sticky, but not overly wet.

Grease a clean bowl with a few drops of canola oil. Remove the dough from the mixer, shape into a ball, and toss gently in the bowl until all sides of the dough ball are greased. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk.

While the dough is rising, make the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the milk until the mixture becomes a soft, spreadable consistency. Set aside.

When the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it out onto a floured surface. Punch the dough down and roll it out into a 2ft. x 1 ft. rectangle. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides, and then carefully roll the soft dough up, starting at one of the long sides, into a log.

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, seam side down, and bring the ends together to make a ring, sealing the edges by moistening lightly with water and pinching. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk once more, about a half hour. Preheat the oven to 375°.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until golden.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze by whisking the sugar, butter, lemon juice, bourbon, and vanilla together into a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in the milk until the glaze is liquid enough to drizzle from the whisk. If you’re using food coloring, divide the glaze evenly among three small bowls to color each, leaving a bit uncolored in the original bowl.

Lift the baked cake and parchment paper onto a rack and cool for 10 minutes. NOTE: It’s a good-luck tradition to insert a small plastic baby, a large dried bean, or a pecan in the cake for one lucky recipient to discover in his/her piece. If you’re going to do it, stuff it up somewhere through the bottom of the cake now. And warn your guests before they chomp down.

Brush a thin layer of uncolored glaze onto the cake. If you’re using colored finishing sugars, drizzle the remainder of the glaze evenly over the cake, then sprinkle bands of alternating colored sugars. If you’re using the three food-colored glazes, drizzle and brush each band thickly onto the cake to create the pattern.

Let the glaze harden before serving.