King Cake

From Old Farmer's Almanac

Cakes and Frostings Recipes

Yield: 9-inch square cake

King Cake is also called Kings' Cake, Gateau des Rois, Cake of Kings, or Twelfth Night Cake. It is still important in Louisiana, where it is served from the feast of the Epiphany through Mardi Gras. Traditionally, a trinket is based inside. In the U.S., the most common trinket is a small plastic baby to represent the baby Jesus. In European countries, the traditional trinket is a bean. In the recipe below, you may swirl molasses cake batter with white cake batter to make a marble cake, or make the molasses cake alone.

Cake recipe

• 1 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups flour

Mix molasses, baking soda, and butter in a large bowl. Add salt, ginger, and boiling water. Stir well and gradually blend in the flour. Stir until smooth. Pour into a buttered and loured 8- or 9-inch square cake pan (if preparing marble cake, use a 9 x 13-inch pan and drop spoonfuls of each batter in alternate layers). Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 30 minutes (45 minutes for the marble cake), or until cake tests done. Cool and frost with Fudge icing.

Comments

For icing recipe, see "King Cake: Fudge Icing"

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