King Cake

Highly sought after frequent flier or visitor upgrades bring a smile to our face.  Who wouldn't jump in elation as the airline employee smiles and says, "Well, Mrs. Liv Life, you are being upgraded to First Class on this leg of your journey." (This has only happened once, but I keep hoping every time I fly!!)  Like Jerry Seinfeld, I'm lucky enough to know the elusive comforts of first class...

Jerry: Elaine, have you ever flown first-class?
Elaine: No.
Jerry: All right then. See, you don't know what you're missing. I've flown first-class. I can't go back to coach. I can't, I won't.

Thankfully my mom received her own kind of upgrade this week when she was awarded a private room at Scripps Memorial Encinitas Hospital.  Arriving early in the morning a few days ago for a hip replacement, she was wheeled hours later to her coveted private room with a new hip along with an unfortunate complication.  The surgery had caused a small fracture to a part of the remaining bone as the new joint was being inserted, pushing her full recovery back some six weeks.  The private room was a godsend indeed!

While nurses, aids, doctors and volunteers all helped to make her stay more pleasurable, there really is no pleasure in having to ring for help every time you need to head to the bathroom.  Even less pleasure when the person who arrives to help you with this most private function is a man (no offense men, it's just a bit embarrassing...).  However, over the few days of her stay she came to truly appreciate those strong arms that helped her in and out of the bed, the chairs... and even to the bathroom.

Wanting to thank the many people who helped to make Mom's stay at the hospital (in her upgraded room) as pleasant as possible, I took the opportunity to open a new cookbook that had been sent my way.  Storey Publishing contacted me a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in reviewing Krystina Castella's book A World of Cake.  Jumping at the opportunity I was thrilled when my friendly UPS man dropped the eagerly awaited package into my waiting hands just a few days later.

Definitely not your typical cake book loaded with variations of frostings, cakes and decorations, Ms. Kastella has taken cakes from around the world and filled her pages with recipes, photos and most interestingly, history and lore.  Traveling to Italy for Panettone, to Israel for a special holiday Seed Cake, to Kenya for a Banana Cake with Crunchy N'Dizi (this post is up tomorrow!) and last but not least to New Orleans for a traditional King Cake, Liv and I spent well over an hour reading about the origins, traditions and stories that go along with the featured sweets.  Each recipe comes with variations for different tastes and occasions, along with a description of what you will be making.

Churros from Mexico were the first treats to catch Liv's eye, but the King Cake from New Orleans won out.  In California the 5th grade curriculum covers the United States with each child completing a detailed project on a certain state.  Last year Liv did her report on Louisiana, and what report on Louisiana would be complete without a Mardi Gras section featuring a King Cake??

Ms. Castella's synopsis of the King Cake would most definitely have come in handy last year as Liv was researching Mardi Gras food and traditions:


The French brought king cake to New Orleans in the eighteenth century, and for a hundred years this cake was associated with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6.  A bean, pea or small trinket would be baked into the cake and the person who found the hidden item was named king of the feast, said to have good luck for the next year.

Over time, the king cake became the official cake of Mardi Gras, the new Orleans carnival that kicks off on Epiphany and ends on Shrove Tuesday.  No Mardi Gras party is complete without its king cake.  Instead of a bean or trinket, Mardi Gras king cakes have a small ceramic or plastic baby baked into them, said to represent the baby Jesus.  The person who finds the baby is charged with, among other duties onerous or joyous, bringing the king cake to the next Mardi Gras party.

Filled with a luscious, lemon enhanced cream cheese layer this yeast cake is then topped with a sweet/tart lemon icing and decorated in bright Mardi Gras colored sugars for a brilliant presentation.  The directions were clear and easy to follow, providing us with a wonderful treat to bring to the hospital to share with those who have been such a comfort.

A World of Cake Giveaway!!!
(This 2011 giveaway is closed...) 
 

Storey Publishing was not only kind enough to send me a copy of A World of Cake, but they have also offered to send one to one of our readers!!  To enter our giveaway simply leave a comment below with the country you would most likely check out first in the book.   We visited Mexico, Tortuga, Austria and then headed over to China for Mooncake.   Tomorrow we will bring you to Kenya for an amazing Banana Cake topped with a Crunchy N'Dizi... stay tuned!!

Leave your comment and country of choice below - the giveaway closes next Sunday, March 13. Unfortunately this giveaway is open only to United States residents....however, we'd still love to hear what country you are interested in even if you don't live here!

New Orleans King Cake

A World of Cake, page 50

Dough
1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk, warmed
4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 egg yolks

Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
(makes about 1 1 2/ cups)


1 tiny plastic baby, hard candy or bean
1 egg white
1 Tbs milk


Lemon Icing
4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
yellow food coloring (optional)


Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar and the milk.  Let sit for 10 minutes. 

Dough:
Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest in a food processor or blender (I used my stand mixer).  Pulse three to five times to combine.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and the remaining sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolks.  Gradually add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and process until coarse.  Then add the yeast mixture.  Pulse eight to ten times, until the dough forms a ball.  If it is too sticky, add more flour, 1 Tbs at a time.  If it is too dry add more water, 1 Tbs at a time.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover.  Let sit in a warm, dry place for at least 2 hours, until the dough doubles in volume. 

To Assemble:
Butter a large baking sheet.  When the dough is ready, punch it down a couple of times to flatten it a bit.  Divide the dough into three equal pieces.  Roll out one piece on a floured work surface to about 12 inches by 4 inches with a thickness of about 3/8 inch.  Spread one-third of the cream cheese filling (recipe below) over the dough, leaving a bare 1 inch on all sides.  Then roll up the long side of the dough, foring a long cylinder, and pinch the edges to seal.  Repeat with the other two pieces of dough.

Braid the three cylinders together then wrap the braid into a circle.  Where the ends come together, insert the plastic baby and pinch with ends together to seal, smoothing the dough to hide the seam.  Transfer the ring to the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit for 45 minutes, or until the dough doubles in volume. 

Bake:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Beat the egg white with the milk.  When the dough is risen, brush it with the egg white mixture.  Place the cake in the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until golden, or a thermometer reads 200-210ºF.  Remove from oven and let cool. 

To Serve:
Pour or pipe the lemon icing (recipe below) over the cake.  Sprinkle immedieately with colored sugars.  Let the topping set before serving.

Cream Cheese Filling 
makes about 1 1/2 cups 

Combine the Cream cheese, sugar, flour egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl and mix until smooth.

Lemon Icing
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Cream the sugar and butter until smooth.  Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest and a drop of yellow food coloring if desired.