Nothing says Mardis Gras or Fat Tuesday like a fresh baked king cake. Sometimes you just have to make it yourself to get even close to authentic when you don’t live in south Louisiana. Here’s a recipe you will be proud to bring to the party. 

Buttermilk King Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

“I grew up eating king cake in NOLA but never really LIKING it. I finally decided to give it a go myself and have to say that this is, hands down, the best I’ve ever eaten. A combination of several recipes, it’s great with coffee, not too sweet, not too bready, with a rich, tender crumb and the traditional lemon/nutmeg flavors of a genuine NOLA king cake. Best eaten same day but pretty darn good the day after (if there are leftovers!). Enjoy, y’all!”Ingredients

Sweet dough:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup Bulgarian-style buttermilk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (optional)

Cream cheese filling:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup water
• Icing:
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 4 teaspoons corn syrup
• 4 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or as needed

Directions

1. Mix 4 cups of flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt together in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Whisk 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and whisk buttermilk into melted butter; heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees F (49 degrees C). Whisk buttermilk mixture into beaten eggs and cool the mixture to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
3. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture on medium-low speed to make a firm, elastic dough, about 10 minutes. If dough doesn’t separate from the sides of the mixing bowl during kneading, beat in 1/4 cup more flour.
4. Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place into a buttered bowl, turning dough around to lightly coat with butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter the outer edge of an 8-inch cake pan.
6. Stir cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a bowl until filling is smooth.
7. Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 10×28-inch rectangle. Spread cream cheese filling over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border along each edge. Lift an edge of the parchment paper sheet to roll dough into a log shape, starting at a 28-inch edge. Pinch seams closed to seal in filling, keeping roll on the parchment paper.
8. Wrap the filled dough around the outside of the buttered 8-inch cake pan to form the dough into a ring; pinch the edges closed. Use parchment paper to lift the cake and cake pan and slide a baking sheet beneath the parchment. Gently free cake pan, leaving the ring-shaped cake. Whisk 1 egg with water in a small bowl; brush cake with egg wash.
9. Bake king cake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cake cool.
10. Stir 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, and milk in a bowl; mix in 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or amount needed to thin icing to a thick but slightly runny texture. Drizzle king cake with icing.