Are you looking for a fun “snacktivity” to enjoy with your family? Create these delicious king cake bites to savor during Mardi Gras!
Unless you’ve grown up in the French Quarter or are a deep follower of Mardi Gras, you probably have not enjoyed the awesomeness of the King Cake and all the history that surrounds it. Let me break it down for you, and hopefully, you will be throwing your own at-home carnival with King Cake to mark the occasion.
Now, if all you know is that it’s a colorful ring cake with a little baby inside (yes, a baby. I’ll address this later), then you are not alone!
Tell Me More About This Cake
Typically, this treat is served before or on Fat Tuesday, which this year is February 16th. The King Cake is made of a rich brioche dough and a wide array of fillings, like cinnamon, chocolate, and cream cheese. But the rainbow magic is found in the glaze and sprinkles, which are usually gold, green, and purple. Even the colors of the icing (and royal colors of Mardi Gras) have a deeper meaning. Gold represents power, green is associated with faith, and purple illustrates justice. King cake is baked without a center, like your average Bundt cake, except buried inside the batter is a tiny, plastic baby.
One of the most popular theories behind the baby is its representation of Baby Jesus. Finding the baby in the cake is supposed to be good luck for the upcoming year. Although all this luck does come with some responsibility, whoever finds the baby must also bring the King Cake to next year’s celebration. There’s always a catch.
So, will you celebrate Mardi Gras this year and make a King Cake? If so, we’ve got you covered with much simpler King Cake Bites from Stephanie at Plain Chicken.
– Chef Laura
King Cake Bites
I'm in love with the simplicity and deliciousness of this recipe from Stephanie's Plain Chicken blog! Why reinvent the wheel when someone else has a great idea? Check out her blog for more great recipes!
- Chef Laura
Ingredients
Bites
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 (8-oz) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- Sugar sprinkles (yellow, green, and purple)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and lemon juice with mixer until well blended.
3. Separate dough into 8 rectangles; seal seams. Sprinkle each rectangle with approximately ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture down the middle of each rectangle. Fold each rectangle lengthwise into thirds to enclose filling (bring long edges up to cover cream cheese); cut each into 4 squares. Place seam-sides down on a baking sheet.
5. Bake 13 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
6. Mix together the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and milk. Spread on top of King Cake Bites and sprinkle with colored sugars.