Last Updated on June 11, 2020
King cakes are a classic Mardi Gras treat. They are delicious cinnamon cakes that are glazed and covered in colored sprinkles. You’ll be amazed at this delicious cinnamon roll king cake recipe using cinnamon rolls.
King cakes have become a popular seasonal dessert in America. They are rich in flavor and tradition. This simple recipe is easy to make and requires no baking experience.
This King Cake is a great recipe to make with the family. It is easy, so anyone can help make it. You can also share the history of Mardi Gras with your family while making this cake.
Cinnamon Roll King Cake: History of King Cakes
King Cakes have a long history in the United States. Dating back to 1870 in New Orleans, Louisiana, King cakes as we know today became popular. These cakes can date all the way back to Old World France and Spain, and became connected with Epiphany during the Middle Ages.
King cakes are a combination of a French pastry and coffee cake. The cake is often baked in a circular or oval shape to represent a crown. They are eaten to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras season starts on January 6 and is known by Christians as the start of Epiphany. Mardi Gras itself changes dates and can be anywhere from February 3 to March 9. However, Mardi Gras always occurs the day before Ash Wednesday and is 46 days before Easter.
The cakes are often frosted in a glaze and covered in gold, purple and green sprinkles. Gold represents power, the green represents faith and the purple represents justice. The colors are based on the jeweled crown the Wise Men had when they visited Jesus on Epiphany.
Cakes are often decorated with bead necklaces and plastic coins. The coins and necklaces may also be baked into the cake.
A plastic baby is often baked into the cake. The baby represents Holy Day. Whoever gets the baby in their slice is named king for the day and by custom is assigned the task to host the next party, where they provide the next King cake.
Cinnamon Roll King Cake: Popularity of King Cakes
Each year during Mardi Gras season, which can also be referred to as Carnival season, millions of King Cakes are sold at bakeries. They have become such a popular treat that many bakeries sell out of them. Though popular all throughout America, King cakes are a huge tradition in New Orleans.
There have been many twists made on the classic dessert, including Bundt cakes, cheesecakes, cinnamon roll cakes, and cupcakes. King cakes may also include nuts. You can spot King cake desserts thanks to their festive decorations.
If you plan on celebrating Mardi Gras, this King cake recipe is a great one to make. Using cinnamon rolls gives it a great taste and makes for a quick and simple dessert. Since the cinnamon rolls already come with icing, you save time not having to make your own.
What You Will Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
To make this king cake recipe with cinnamon rolls, you will need:
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing (17.5 ounces). Try this homemade cinnamon rolls
- Yellow, green and purple sprinkles
Equipment
To prepare this recipe, you will need a Bundt pan and a cake plate.
Cinnamon Roll King Cake: Step by Step Instructions
Step One: Prepare Oven and Pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the Bundt pan with melted butter. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and evenly sprinkle the mixture on the pan.
Step Two: Add Cinnamon Rolls
Add the cinnamon rolls to the pan, arranging them in a circle. Slightly overlap the cinnamon rolls. Pour the remaining butter on top of the cinnamon rolls.
Step Three: Bake the King Cake
Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until golden. Let the cake cool for five minutes and then flip onto a cake plate.
Step Four: Decorate the Cake
Frost the cake with icing from the cinnamon roll packs. Decorate the cake with yellow, purple and green sprinkles, alternating colors.
Tips and Tricks
If you want to follow the tradition of adding a plastic baby to your King’s cake, you can buy them online. Simply hide a baby in the middle of a cinnamon roll before baking or you may tuck it into the cake after it is baked while it is still warm. This famous tradition started in the 1950s at the well-known McKenzie’s bakery in New Orleans.
When making this cake, make sure the pan is fully coated with butter. This will allow for a golden finish and will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
Adding the frosting to the cake while it is still warm will allow it to melt slightly down the sides and gives it a nice finish. If you frost it too soon after baking, it will cause the frosting to melt too much.
Jumbo cinnamon rolls fill the Bundt pan better; however, you can use any size cinnamon rolls and fill the pan accordingly. Using cinnamon rolls makes for easy serving, as you can pull the individual rolls out without having to cut the cake.
You can store this King cake covered at room temperature for up to two days. Also, you can keep it in the fridge for one week. You can store your decorated King cake in the freezer for up to two months.
Remarkably Easy King Cake Recipe Using Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Cake plate
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing 17.5 ounces
- Yellow, green and purple sprinkles
Instructions
- Step One: Prepare Oven and Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the Bundt pan with melted butter. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and evenly sprinkle the mixture on the pan.
- Step Two: Add Cinnamon Rolls
- Add the cinnamon rolls to the pan, arranging them in a circle. Slightly overlap the cinnamon rolls. Pour the remaining butter on top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Step Three: Bake the King Cake
- Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until golden. Let the cake cool for five minutes and then flip onto a cake plate.
- Step Four: Decorate the Cake
- Frost the cake with icing from the cinnamon roll packs. Decorate the cake with yellow, purple and green sprinkles, alternating colors.
Notes
- If you want to follow the tradition of adding a plastic baby to your King’s cake, you can buy them online. Simply hide a baby in the middle of a cinnamon roll before baking or you may tuck it into the cake after it is baked while it is still warm. This famous tradition started in the 1950s at the well-known McKenzie’s bakery in New Orleans.
- When making this cake, make sure the pan is fully coated with butter. This will allow for a golden finish and will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
- Adding the frosting to the cake while it is still warm will allow it to melt slightly down the sides and gives it a nice finish. If you frost it too soon after baking, it will cause the frosting to melt too much.
Jumbo cinnamon rolls fill the Bundt pan better; however, you can use any size cinnamon rolls and fill the pan accordingly. Using cinnamon rolls makes for easy serving, as you can pull the individual rolls out without having to cut the cake. - You can store this King cake covered at room temperature for up to two days. You can also keep it in the fridge for one week. You can store your decorated King cake in the freezer for up to two months.
A Simple and Tasty King Cake
This King cake recipe is so simple to make that you’ll definitely want to add it to your cookbook. This delicious take on the classic King Cake is something you will want to eat all year long, not just for Mardi Gras.
This King cake is the perfect way to celebrate Mardi Gras. It is a great way to carry on a classic tradition. If you tried this recipe, please share your experience making it.
Please comment if you enjoyed this article or have any remarks regarding this recipe!
Karen is a passionate pastry chef who loves to create delicious baked goods. She has been in the culinary arts for over 10 years, honing her skills and perfecting her craft. Karen is known for her creativity and attention to detail, creating unique desserts that bring a smile to everyone’s face. She is always looking for ways to challenge herself and come up with new recipes that are both tasty and visually appealing. Karen loves to experiment with different flavors and textures, and she is committed to providing the highest quality of products to her customers.
