Description
This Shortcut Mardi Gras King Cake is a quick and festive twist on the traditional New Orleans treat. Using jumbo cinnamon rolls as the base, it’s easy to assemble and bake, then topped with a cream cheese-infused icing and decorated with iconic Mardi Gras sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green. Perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras without the usual fuss of making dough from scratch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Base
- 2 (17.5-ounce) cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing (each tube has 5 rolls)
For the Icing
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Icing packets from cinnamon rolls
- Sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green, for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously spray a Bundt or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray to ensure easy cake release.
- Arrange Cinnamon Rolls: Open the tubes of cinnamon rolls and remove the icing packets for later use. Nestle the cinnamon rolls tightly at the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan, squeezing gently if necessary to fit them all securely in place.
- Bake the Cake Base: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cinnamon rolls are cooked through and no longer gooey in the center, with a golden exterior.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the pan from the oven and carefully invert onto a serving platter. Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature before adding the icing.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Icing: While the cake cools, mix the two icing packets that came with the cinnamon rolls together with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese. Blend until smooth and creamy for a rich frosting.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the cooled cake. Decorate the surface by alternating the Mardi Gras colored sugar crystals—purple, yellow, and green—in stripes or patterns to create the signature festive look.
Notes
- You can substitute cream cheese with mascarpone for a milder flavor in the icing.
- Ensure the cake is fully cooled before frosting to prevent the icing from melting.
- If you prefer a less sweet icing, reduce the amount of icing packets or add a splash of vanilla extract for flavor balance.
- For added texture, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top along with the sugar crystals.
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
