Cream Cheese-Filled King Cake

I have used this recipe atleast 10 times and it has never disappointed. You can change out the fillings how ever you like and it is wonderful. In fact I’m going to make one today and it’s not even king cake season.

I used the bread flour called for in the recipe and  I also used a new instant yeast by Red Star that has dough enhancers in it. The dough is so tender! I grated a little fresh nutmeg [1/2 tsp] in both the dough and the filling and sprinkled a little cinnamon on the dough before spreading the filling. Since I coiled the dough instead of making the traditional open ring it took a liitle longer to bake. I just covered the top loosely with foil and baked for about 10 more minutes.

I make this every year and always get rave reviews. This has become a family favorite with the cream cheese filling. I let the cake cool before putting the icing on and it seems to do better that way. My daughter wants me to make her one for her birthday this year. We decided to name it Queen Cake!

I have been looking for a really good king cake recipe for years. I have finally found it. The cake is very moist (from all the sour cream, no doubt) and tender. I put a layer of cinnamon and sugar over the dough before adding the cream cheese filling, as another reviewer suggested. During cooking, a bit of the filling leaked out, but it didn't make any difference. Next time I will try to seal the sides better. This is one of the best cakes I have ever made!

Having lived in New Orleans, I was looking for a recipe for a true king cake, and this did the trick. My boyfriend even declared it the best king cake he has ever had. However, I made some important modifications to make this taste like a true Nola king cake. Even a cream cheese king cake needs the cinnamon-sugar layer, so I took the directions from the "traditional" king cake and covered my flattened rectangle with softened butter and sprinkled on an even layer of cinnamon (2 teaspoons) and sugar (1/2 cup). Then, rather than spread the cream cheese all over the rectangle, I placed it all in a large line a little ways in from the edge along the long side. This way, when you roll it, you end up with a cream cheese center but cinnamon-sugar throughout the cake, just the way a real king cake is made. I'll also note two other important things. I took the advice of a commenter on the traditional recipe and used a heated oven to help with the rising, and I used my own frosting recipe.

Loved this recipe. I've had relatives in Louisiana send us King Cakes and I've always wanted to make one--this one rivals the professionals--maybe it's better. I feel the same about the "plain" cinnamon one, too! Great recipe!

WoW! This was just like a cheese danish. The dough had the best texture. You can't go wrong with this one!!