Quick Mardi Gras King Cake

This is so quick and easy… a total shortcut!

Traditionally, Mardi Gras King Cake has a hidden prize .. a plastic Mardi Gras baby is hidden in the cake by making a small slit after baking and inserting the prize… I wouldn’t recommend trying that with this.. but if you do… do let me know how it went.

I’m putting this in caps… it’s important… PLEASE READ MY TIPS before trying this.

TIPS

Definitely use 3 cans of cinnamon rolls. You will need that many to rise and “swell” together to form a ring that will stay together as one piece.

Cut the cinnamon rolls into 4 slices not 8… they need to be that wide so they don’t fall over during baking.


Pinch the two cinnamon rolls together so they are one piece and when laying them down in a ring also pinch the ends of each set of two together so all the rolls are connected at the middle.

Lay them on end not flat (see picture).


Bake them for 25 to 27 minutes instead of the baking times on the package.. they will require the additional time otherwise they won’t be fully baked.


Ice the cake quickly with the icing in the cinnamon roll can… work quickly and sprinkle the colored sugar quickly after acing otherwise the icing hardens and the sugars bounce off the icing.

Buy commercial colored sugars … they use a coarser sugar than the normal sugar you keep in the house. You can find them in the grocery store.

I baked mine on a 10 inch round cardboard baking circle… otherwise the cake is difficult to slide onto a plate from a baking pan. I suggest you cover the cardboard with non-stick foil because the rolls will leak grease .. you will have to use paper towel to mop the excess grease from the middle of the ring. The foil will make clean up easier…. I didn’t do that and the grease definitely shows on the cardboard.. if I had covered it in foil, there wouldn’t be any stain.

This is definitely worth trying… a great brunch cake anytime of the year.








Recipe: Quick Mardi Gras King Cake

All you need:

3 cans Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing (8 rolls each)
1 (10 inch) round baking cardboard
Reynolds Wrap Non-stick Aluminum Foil
Colored sugars

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cover the baking cardboard in non-stick foil.

Cut each can of cinnamon rolls into 4 instead of 8.

Place them in a ring on the foil covered cardboard round.

Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until done.

Spread the icing on top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.

Quickly sprinkle colored sugars on the cake, a different color in each of 3 or 4 sections.

Serve warm.