Mardi Gras King Cake - A Reduced-Fat, Full-Flavor Alternative

Ingredients

½ cup warm water

1 packet yeast

½ cup +2 Tbs. Organic sugar

3 ½ cup whole-wheat baking flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Stevia

1 ½ tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

½ cup warm almond milk (soymilk tastes great too)

½ cup egg replacement (or 1 egg + 2 egg whites – whatever you have on hand works)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 Tbs. coconut oil, softened

Glaze

1 Tbs. cinnamon

2 egg whites beaten

1 Tbs. almond (or soy) milk

Icing

6-8 oz. of Greek yogurt (either plain or vanilla will d0)

½ cup Organic powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

All-natural food coloring (yellow, green – mix blue and yellow, and purple - mix red and blue)

Preparation

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and 2 Tbs. sugar over warm water. Let sit 4-5 minutes, then mix well and set aside until yeast bubbles and mixture doubles in volume (approximately 10 minutes).

While waiting for yeast to bubble, in a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, Stevia, and baking soda, then add lemon zest.

When yeast mixture is ready, combine with warm milk and egg replacement. Gradually add flour mixture, coconut oil, and applesauce, stirring thoroughly.

If needed, add up to ½ cup additional flour until dough reaches a soft consistency conducive to kneading. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (approx. 10 minutes).

Spray a clean, dry bowl with nonstick cooking spray, place dough in bowl, cover, and let sit until doubled (approx. 90 minutes).

When dough has risen, uncover and punch down. Form dough into a cylinder shape and sprinkle with the 1 Tbs. of cinnamon listed under "Glaze." Twist dough, form into a circle and pinch ends together. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes more, or until roughly doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Beat together egg whites and almond milk to form a glaze, then brush top and sides of the cake with the mixture.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until golden brown, and cool completely on wire rack before decorating.

To make the icing, combine the Greek yogurt, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Allow to thicken in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes before spreading on the cake.

Divide icing into 3 separate bowls. Add food coloring to each in order to get yellow, green, and purple frostings. Spread over the cooled cake, alternating between all 3 colors. Enjoy!

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About

Here is a recipe for the Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake, in celebration of this upcoming week’s Fat Tuesday celebration. While more of a bread than a cake, this dessert is typically loaded with sugar, butter, and white flour - three things which I’m not a huge fan of. By making a few minor tweaks and giving this recipe a bit of a healthy-flair, you will feel better knowing that you are not getting all of your Fat [Tuesday] calories in one place – although it will still taste like you are.

Tips:
1. Keep the frosted cake out of sunlight or heat, as this frosting easily melts.
2. In order to be totally authentic, it’s fun to add a “baby Jesus” inside of the cake. While plastic babies are often used, cooking plastic inside the oven is not a good idea when it comes to your health. Instead, put a small cluster of pecans, or something edible and of that nature inside of the cake (dough) before you begin baking. It’s easiest to do this before you “twist” the dough and allow it to rise for the final time. Be sure to tell everyone to inspect their piece of cake before they begin eating it.