Description
This Shortcut Mardi Gras King Cake is a festive and easy-to-make dessert perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras. Using canned jumbo cinnamon rolls simplifies the process while delivering a sweet, cinnamon-flavored treat topped with vibrant purple, yellow, and green sugar crystals and a creamy cream cheese icing blend. Ready in just 45 minutes, this king cake serves 8 and captures the spirit and flavors of the traditional Mardi Gras celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
King Cake
- 2 (17.5-ounce) cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing (each tube contains 5 rolls)
Icing
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a Bundt or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Arrange Cinnamon Rolls: Open the cinnamon roll tubes and remove the icing packets. Arrange the un-iced cinnamon rolls snugly at the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan, squeezing them in as needed to fit evenly.
- Bake the Rolls: Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are fully set and no longer gooey in the center, indicating they have baked through.
- Cool the Cake: Carefully turn the baked cinnamon roll cake out onto a serving platter and let it cool completely to room temperature before applying icing.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Icing: While the cake cools, mix the two packets of cinnamon roll icing with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Decorate the Cake: Spread the cream cheese enhanced icing evenly over the cooled cake. Decorate by sprinkling the sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green colors alternately to represent traditional Mardi Gras colors.
Notes
- Make sure the cake is fully cooled before spreading the cream cheese icing to prevent it from melting and sliding off.
- You can substitute homemade cinnamon rolls if desired, but baking times might vary.
- For extra flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese icing mixture.
- The sugar crystals provide crunch and authentic Mardi Gras colors; if unavailable, colored sanding sugar can be used.
- This cake is best enjoyed the day it’s made but can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
