King Cake

1 recipe brioche

Filling:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

5 tablespoons butter, softened

Frosting:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the brioche according to the recipe. After the dough has been refrigerated for at least two hours, you can proceed to making this king cake.

Make the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients, mix well. You want this to be soft, but not melted, so that you can spread it on the dough.

Line two sheet pans with wax paper and sprinkle them with gluten-free flour.

Spray two bundt pans with nonstick spray.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Spread each piece of dough onto the prepared sheet pans. Spread the filling onto each piece, Use the wax paper to help you roll the dough, so that it creates a long skinny tube. (Gluten-free dough is very sticky. So, it will likely break in some places. That’s ok.) Wrap each tube around the opening in the prepared bundt pans. Pinch together where the two ends meet.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. While the cakes are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove the cakes from the pans within 5 minutes of removing from the oven. You don’t want the cinnamon filling to dry and make the cake stick to the pans. Let cool for at least an hour before frosting.

While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese in an upright mixture until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar. Continue beating until well incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar. Mix slowly until well combined. Once the frosting is smooth and well combined, increase the speed to high and let the frosting beat for 3-5 minutes. This last step is key to making a light, fluffy frosting.

Frost the cakes and garnish with colorful sugars or edible glitter.

Yield: 2 king cakes