There is no way to talk about food and Mardi Gras without talking about King Cake.

This cake is typically a brioche-style sweetened bread baked in a circle, glazed and covered in alternating stripes of purple, green and gold.

I have discoverd that the cake seems to date from a custom that dates from the early 12th century when a cake of this type was baked to celebrate the Feast of Epiphany or the coming of the wise men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

The cakes usually contain a coin, dried bean or a little baby figurine that symbolizes the baby Jesus. It is considered good luck to get the slice of cake that contains the baby Jesus and that person is responsible for holding the next King Cake party.

This recipe is from the Junior League of Lafayette, La. Enjoy!

Cake dough

1/2 cup lukewarm water, 110 to 115 degrees 2 packages dry yeast 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups sifted flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/2 cup lukewarm milk 3 eggs 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk A nickel, dried bean, or miniature doll Sugars: green, purple, and yellow food coloring, pastes 3/4 cup granulated sugar (12 tablespoons) Icing: 3 cups confectioner&8217;s sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice, strained 3 to 6 tablespoons water

Soften yeast in water. Combine flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt in mixing bowl. Stir in lemon peel.

Make a well in center and pour into it the yeast mixture and milk.

Add eggs and egg yolks, and with a large wooden spoon gradually incorporate dry ingredients into liquid ones.

Beat in butter and continue beating until dough forms ball. (Mixing of the dough can be done in a food processor.)

Place ball on floured board and incorporate more flour if necessary, by sprinkling it over ball by the tablespoon. Knead until smooth and elastic.

Brush inside of large bowl with 1 tablespoon softened butter.

Set dough in bowl and turn it so as to butter entire surface. (At this point, you can refrigerate dough overnight.)

Cover bowl and set aside for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Brush a large baking sheet with remaining butter.

Punch dough down on lightly floured surface.

Knead, then pat and shape dough into a cylinder about 14 inches long.

Place on baking sheet and form into a ring.

Press bean or doll into dough so that it is hidden. Set aside again to rise.

When ready to bake, brush the top and sides of the ring with the egg-milk mixture. Bake King&8217;s Cake in middle of oven at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Slide cake onto wire rack to cool.

Prepare the colored sugars by squeezing a dab of green paste into the palm of one hand.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the paste and rub your hands together to color the sugars evenly. Set aside and repeat process with green, then twice with purple and yellow. (Do not mix sugars.) I have used liquid food coloring to do this and I have good luck finding colored sugars in many grocery stores.

When the cake has cooled prepare the icing. Combine the confectioner&8217;s sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water in a deep bowl and stir until the icing mixture is smooth.

If too stiff to spread, beat in 1 teaspoonful water at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

With a small metal spatula, spread the incing over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Sprinkle the colored sugars over the icing immediately, forming a row of purple, yellow, and green strips, each about 2 inches wide, on both sides of the ring.

Christina Hall

can be reached at

christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com

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