Mini King Cakes
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, white reserved
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil, or 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ cup Lemon Bits or lemon chips, optional
Icing
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon + ½ to 1 teaspoon milk, enough to make a thick but pourable glaze
Topping
- yellow, purple, and green sparkling sugars
Directions
1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients to make a smooth, soft dough.
2) Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.
3) Place 12 mini-panettone papers on a baking sheet. Or line a standard muffin pan with cupcake papers, and grease the papers.
4) With greased hands, divide the sticky dough into 12 equal pieces, forming each into a smooth ball.
5) Place the balls of dough into the papers. Cover the pan, and let the cakes rise for 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
6) Whisk the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon water, and brush it over the cakes.
7) Bake the cakes for 20 minutes, then tent them lightly with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
8) Beat together the icing ingredients, dribbling in the final teaspoon of milk until the icing is thick yet pourable.
9) Dip the top of each cake in the icing, or drizzle icing over the tops of the cakes. While the icing is still tacky, sprinkle with the colored sugars.
Yield: 12 cakes.
Reviews
02/21/2012- I followed the recipe but was worried about the not proofing the yeast. Cakes? No, they were more hard and heavy rolls. The smell is fantastic, very lemony, and beautiful yellow color from the lemon bits.
02/11/2012- I made these today and put in freezer as an experiment. Oh, my such beautiful light rolls with a wonderful taste. I'll be making them for the Feb Mardi Gras to surprise nursing home residents complete with a baby baked in one or two as is the tradition. I'll also use the cream chez idea and almond. (No I didnt' ice these beauties before puttingin the freezer) I am so delighted with the sticky recipe I'm going to use it for other creations. Thanks KAF! another winner.
- 01/25/2012
- Mine were also very crisp, but delicious. I used orange zest since it's what I had on hand. They taste like tiny pannetone, so I'd be tempted to add some raisins if I make these again.
- 01/12/2012
- This was a great recipe, absolutely lovely dough although it was sticky. I used whole milk and 1/4 cup (4 T) melted butter (so I cut the amount of butter called for in half) and I was feeling ambitious so I made candied lemon peel and cut it into very small pieces in place of the lemon pieces. For frosting, I used the cooked frosting I had left over from a red velvet cake I made during the weekend. I will definitely continue to make this recipe. Thank you KAF!
01/10/2012- I made these night before last, and they were a big hit! I made a cream cheese filling (8oz cream cheese mixed with 1 c powdered sugar, then chilled so it could be put in the middle). They didn't really rise outside of the oven, but eventually puffed up nicely. Mine were a little crisp on the outside, but that was probably just me! I also substituted the european peel for the lemon.
