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Easy King Cake is a super simple semi-homemade version of a traditional Mardi Gras dessert! Made with canned cinnamon rolls and colored sanding sugar you can’t go wrong with this fun and festive Mardi Gras treat.
Mardi Gras is all about delicious food from Gumbo to Roast Beef Po Boys! And what Mardi Gras feast would be complete without a colorful Mardi Gras King Cake?
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Simple and Easy: This Mardi Gras treat takes no time to put together, bake and have on the table.
- Family Fun: This is something even the kiddos can help make! Everyone loves how delicious it is!
- Versatile: Eat this for a fun breakfast or as a dessert!
Mardi Gras is a festive time of year often celebrated with delicious food! During these weeks of celebrations, you will be greeted with a “laissez less bon temps rouler” attitude or “Let the good times roll” in Cajun French!
We can definitely get behind that idea when it comes to food!
Throughout the carnival celebrations, you will see colorful masks, floats, beads, and lots of great food. So, why not have a good time and create something bright and colorful to eat at home as well!
This fun and vibrant Mardi Gras King Cake will fascinate your senses and tantalize those taste buds!
Making a quick and simple shortcut version means an easy king cake. In fact, it’s so easy you won’t be in that kitchen all day making dough, letting it rise and all the steps in between (shh I won’t tell if you don’t).
That just means more good times, less work! So let’s get those good times a rolling y’all!
Ingredients
How to make this King Cake Recipe:
Step 1 | Prepare Pan and Oven
First, place a silicone mat or parchment paper on a large baking sheet. If you don’t have these, just spray the sheet with cooking spray.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the temperature on the cinnamon roll package. This will most likely be 350°.
Step 2 | Slightly Press and Lay out Cinnamon Rolls
Next, prepare & place the cinnamon rolls on the pan. The cinnamon rolls will be round when you remove them from the can.
Just slightly push down into an oval shape and place them in a circular shape on the baking sheet.
You are going for a roundish oval-like shape. Think of a danish ring when laying them out.
Step 3 | Bake and Cool
Bake the king cake cinnamon rolls according to the package instructions and let them cool.
Want to use the toy baby for finding later? Once the cake is cooled, simply slip it into the cake from underneath or gently pull up a layer and hide it in the king cake before icing.
Step 4 | Icing and decorating
To ice or frost the cake, simply use the icing that comes with the cinnamon rolls.
Then sprinkle on the colored sanding sugars. Traditionally you will use green, yellow, and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras.
All that is left is to slice and enjoy! Just try to remember where you hid that baby and carefully cut around it.
Tips
- The sanding sugar and plastic baby can be found at your local craft stores, party stores, cake decorating section in your superstores, or online.
- When transferring the cake to a serving platter carefully slide from the baking tray. Having the cake on a silicone baking sheet helps lift the cake up. If possible use a cake lifter to hold it steady and slide it to the platter. You can also use a non-rimmed baking tray to make it easier.
- This cake is best if eaten the day it is baked, if possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mardi Gras in French means “Fat Tuesday”, it begins on January 6th and runs through Fat Tuesday which is the day before Ash Wednesday or the first day of Lent. This is celebrated in many countries around the world with a large Roman Catholic population. In the U.S. New Orleans hosts one of the most famous public festivals, but there are many other countries like Brazil and Italy (to name a few) that also hold large celebrations as well.
A miniature plastic baby, which symbolizes baby Jesus, is placed inside of each cake to signify the Epiphany. The person who gets the slice that contains the baby, which symbolizes luck and prosperity, is said to be “the king” for the day. The lucky king gets to bring the mardi grad cake to the next year’s event.
Storage and Reheating
Storage:
Cover with foil or plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container and store the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat:
Want to freshen up the king cake or heat it? Place it in the microwave for 10-second intervals. Note: the icing will become soft to a more melted like texture when heating. This texture will depend on how long you heat it.
How to serve King Cake?
Traditionally you would serve this cake as a dessert. Have a little fun by seeing who will be bringing dessert next year. Just place the hidden baby inside and see who the lucky person will be.
And really, these are king cake cinnamon rolls y’all! Therefore, you totally have permission to eat this for breakfast too! Either way, it’s a nice way for the whole family to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Just slice it up and enjoy the deliciousness!
More Mardi Gras Recipes to enjoy:
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Easy Mardi Gras King Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Non-Rimmed Baking Sheet (or regular baking sheet)
Ingredients
- 3 cans cinnamon rolls, store-bought, a 5-count can
- sanding sugar, yellow, green, & purple
- 1 plastic toy baby, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° or according to package instructions. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Place cinnamon rolls up vertically (standing up and not down flat) on the cookie sheet. Gently press down on the rolls to slightly flatten them. Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a circular shape. (You are looking for a danish ring-like shape)
- Bake according to package instructions (17-25 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool. Insert hidden plastic baby once cooled, if using.
- Frost with the icing included in the packaging. Add yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar – alternating each color around the cake.
Notes
- The sanding sugar and plastic baby can be found at your craft stores, party stores, cake decorating section in your superstores, or online.
- When transferring the cake to a serving platter carefully slide from the baking tray. Having the cake on a silicone baking sheet helps lift the cake up. If possible use a cake lifter to hold it steady and slide it to the platter. You can also use a non-rimmed baking tray to make it easier.
- This cake is best if eaten the day it is baked, if possible.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
©️Soulfully Made
You had me at easy!! I love that you used canned cinnamon rolls. I’ve never had a king cake before, can’t wait to try your recipe.
Thank you, Sharon! We all need fun and easy ideas for Mardi Gras! This one is great for any fun occasion. I also shape this one into a heart and use reds and pinks for valentine’s day.
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it was a sweet success! Turned out perfectly light, flaky and delicious; a fun and tasty treat, indeed!
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it!
I look forward to making this every year! So easy and so yummy!
Thank you, Justine!
This is such a fun idea and the colors are so beautiful! Maybe this will be the year I finally try to make it 😉
It is so fun and vibrant! It’s super easy too!
We’ve used this king cake recipe for the last two years and love it! Already can’t wait to make it again this year!
Thank you, Tayler! I love that you have made this a tradition!
What a fun cake and so easy to make too. I love this idea for parties.
Such a great idea to use canned cinnamon rolls for a King Cake!
Right! Makes it super easy and fun to eat!
So simple, but fit for kings! I am sure my niece will love this idea – we love decorating with sanding sugar!
I bet she will! My granddaughter loves to help in the kitchen too.
I love king cake but I always end up buying it because I’m too intimidated to make it at home – but your recipe and helpful tips has inspired me to give it a try!
Thank you, Anjali! This one is super simple to make and really tasty too.
So happy to find this recipe. I’ve always wanted to participate in this Mardi Gras tradition but didn’t want to make one from scratch. Thank you!!!