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King cake on a plate with purple sprinkles and Mardi Gras beads.
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Cream Cheese Stuffed King Cake

Super moist cinnamon dough with hints of citrus rolled around cream cheese filling, then topped with lemony icing. This is hands down the best cream cheese stuffed king cake (or any king cake) I've ever tasted. Your Mardi Gras won't be complete without it! 
Course Desert
Cuisine American
Keyword dessert, king cake, mardi gras, new orleans
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proof time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Calories 510kcal
Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted*
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 600 grams all purpose flour plus more for dusting (about 4.5 cups)**
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Cinnamon filling

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter 1.5 sticks , softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Cream cheese filling

  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Egg wash

  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 egg lightly beaten

Icing

Instructions

PREP

  • Two hours before you want to start, take out eggs, butter, and cream cheese to soften.
    2 eggs, 16 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter
  • To bloom the yeast, heat milk to 100-110°F, and pour into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over warmed milk, and let sit for 10 minutes. You should see bubbling activity.
    2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 cup whole milk
  • Grease a large bowl for dough proofing. 

DOUGH

  • Add in eggs, butter, white sugar, and vanilla extract to stand mixer bowl, and mix with the dough hook until combined.
    2 eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sprinkle in flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and lemon zest. Mix starting on low, and working your way up to high as it mixes (scraping down sides as needed), until dough has formed a ball, and is smooth texture and slightly tacky to the touch. You can add in more flour a tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky.
    600 grams all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Zest of 1 lemon
  • Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Form into a ball, and transfer to the greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Dough should double in size. 

CINNAMON FILLING

  • Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside. 
    ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ cup unsalted butter

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat on low to combine, then on high until smooth. Pour into a piping bag* and set aside until ready. 
    16 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon juice

ASSEMBLY

  • After an hour of proofing, turn dough onto a floured surface and cut in half.
  • Roll each piece into a rectangle, about 10 x 18 inches and ¼ inch thick.
  • Spread half of the softened butter onto each rectangle, and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over each rectangle evenly.
  • Pipe half of the cream cheese filling along one long end of each rectangle.
  • Roll the dough rectangles into rolls, starting from the long end. Seal the seam well by wetting and pinching.
  • Gently stretch out each roll to about 24 inches long, this will make it easier to twist them around each other.
  • Lay the two rolls side by side on a greased baking sheet with parchment paper, and gently twist together, forming an oval. Seal the ends of each toll together and tuck seam under the other roll.
  • Cover again with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise again, this time for 30 minutes. Dough should almost double in size again.
  • Roll a ball of foil into an oval shape, spray generously with cooking spray, and put in the center of the cake to prevent it from spreading inward. 

BAKE

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush king cake with egg wash, and bake for 30 minutes, until dough is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool before adding icing.
    1 tablespoon water, 1 egg

DECORATE

  • Mix milk, lemon juice, and vanilla together, and sift in powdered sugar. May need to add extra powdered sugar to get desired consistency. When king cake has cooled slightly, pour icing over, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. 
    1 tablespoon milk, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar

Notes

  • It is better to weigh your flour rather than use a measuring cup. A food scale comes in handy for this. 
  • You can use a gallon zip top plastic bag to fill as a piping bag. Snip the corner off to pipe. 
  • Don't mix the icing until you are ready to use, as it will harden as it sits.
  • How to store leftovers: Store your king cake in an airtight container to keep it fresh. This cake does not have to be refrigerated. Eat within a few days.
  • How to freeze: You can freeze this king cake, although it may not be as good as when it's fresh. Freeze individually cut slices wrapped in wax paper, and store for a few months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you know ahead of time you want to freeze some of the king cake, freeze without the icing. Then you can ice the cake when you defrost it. 

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 898IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg