Croissant City Classic King Cake From Ayu Bakehouse
Kelly Jacques of Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans shares her recipe for a classic King Cake, which falls somewhere between a Danish and a cinnamon bun. Kelly talks about this dessert and walks through her recipe on our baking podcast, She's My Cherry Pie. Kelly gives great tips and tricks, so listen to the episode before you attempt this bake! And if you're ever in New Orleans, swing by Ayu and say "hi" to Kelly and her team.
Photo by Sam Hanna
INGREDIENTS
Makes 2 king cakes
FOR THE DOUGH
100 grams whole milk
2 eggs
15 grams instant yeast
550 grams all-purpose flour
110 grams granulated sugar
6 grams (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
84 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
FOR THE LAMINATION
282 grams (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cold
FOR THE FILLING
180 grams (¾ cup) raw cane sugar (or you can use granulated sugar)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
180 grams (¾ cup) cream cheese, at room temperature
75 grams granulated sugar
3 grams (½ teaspoon) fine sea salt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE SYRUP
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
METHOD
MAKE THE DOUGH
Combine all of the dough ingredients except the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a dough hook, mix on medium speed until the ingredients come together and start to form a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and knead the dough, adding the butter in 4 increments, allowing the previous addition to incorporate before adding the next. Continue kneading until all the butter is incorporated and the dough is homogenous.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface and form into a rectangle about 8x6 inches. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
Meanwhile, make the butter packet for laminating. Cube the cold butter and mix it in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until smooth but still cold and firm. Scrape out onto one side of a piece of parchment paper and press down into a rough rectangle. Fold the top half of the parchment back over like a book and use a rolling pin to evenly spread the butter into a 6x6-inch rectangle. Set aside in a cool spot.
LAMINATE THE DOUGH
Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 7x12-inch rectangle. Remove the butter packet from the parchment and place in the center of the rectangle. Fold the two long edges of dough tightly over the butter so that the ends meet in the middle, completely enclosing the butter.
With the heel of your hand, press down along the seam, and then repeat along the rest of the dough to adhere the butter and dough together. Roll the dough to approximately 10x18 inches, with the seam parallel to the longer edge. Complete a book fold by folding the two ends to meet anywhere in the middle of the dough, then fold the dough in half like a book. Rotate 90 degrees.
Repeat this step, rolling the dough out in the opposite direction parallel to the folds from the previous step. After two book folds, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to overnight (or freeze for up to a week).
MAKE THE FILLING
Combine the cane sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix until combined. Transfer to a piping bag (no tip) and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill the dough.
FILL & SHAPE
Unwrap the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a 18x18-inch square. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with water to make it slightly sticky, then spread the cinnamon sugar all over the dough.
With a knife or pizza cutter, divide the dough into four even strips, 4.5x18 inches.
Pipe a finger-thick line of cream cheese filling down the center of each strip, using up all the filling.
Gently roll up each strip over the filling to create four even tubes. Put the seam sides down.
Form the bottom two pieces into an X with the seams down. Starting at the intersection and working left, criss-cross the pieces over each other 3 to 4 times, ensuring the seam side always faces down. Leave 1 to 2 inches uncrossed at the end. Repeat with the right side. Bring one end around to meet the other and form a circle. Connect the end pieces by criss-crossing them over each other and pressing firmly to seal.
Repeat this step with the top two pieces. Set on parchment-lined sheet pans with at least 3 inches of space on all sides.
At this point, the king cakes can either be proofed and baked or wrapped and frozen for up to one week. (If you’re freezing them, let the cakes sit out at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before freezing to give them a head start on proofing.)
PROOF & BAKE
Preheat your oven to 350F. Place your king cakes in a warm spot and cover loosely with a plastic bag or wrap. Allow to rise approximately 3 to 4 hours or until almost doubled in size.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: bring the sugar and water to a boil for two minutes, then let cool. This can be held in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Bake the king cakes for 40 to 50 minutes or until deeply dark brown all over. Remove from the oven and brush generously with the syrup. Top with colored sugar as desired! Let cool before serving.
Recipe by Kelly Jacques of Ayu Bakehouse. Reprinted by permission of Kelly Jacques. If you're interested in trying Ayu's King Cakes for yourself, they now offer nationwide shipping.
