Hey party people, Happy Fat Tuesday! Did you know that Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday? And that Fat Tuesday (TODAY) is the time before Lent when you’re actually encouraged to eat richer foods before fasting? Well, consider yourself knowledgeable!
While not celebrated as strictly in the U.S., our Fat Tuesday celebrations tend to include delicious food, masks, elaborate costumes, and parades. And in the grand tradition of Mardi Gras, the King Cake is often served up as part of those festivities. The deal with a King Cake is that it’s yummy, obviously, but also has a small figurine of a baby or, sometimes, a dried bean hidden with the cake. The legend says that the person who gets the slice with the hidden gem will have good luck for the rest of the year (that’s a lucky treat!).
The problem is that most King Cake’s come chock full of butter and eggs… things we don’t care for! But not to fear, we’ve got a vegan King Cake recipe for you right here (note the rhyme)!
Vegan King Cake (via Ashley Skabar)
Makes one cake/Serves 10 to 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 package dry active yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 T. maple syrup
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- 1 t. salt
- ¼ t. nutmeg
- 3 T. organic white granulated sugar
- 6 T. soy margarine, cut into pieces
- 3 T. Egg Replacer Powder mixed with ¼ T. hot water
- ¼ cup coconut milk (not “lite” variety), plus more for brushing
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup dairy-free soy margarine, softened
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ t. cinnamon
For the Sprinkles:
- Unrefined Cane Sugar (about 1 ½ cups)
- Yellow, Green and Purple Food Coloring
For the Icing:
- 1 ½ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ t. salt
- 3 T. warm water
Preparation
1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and maple syrup, mixing gently until the yeast dissolves and bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Add the soy margarine and process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add this mixture to the yeast, along with the Egg Replacer mixture and coconut milk. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until a soft dough forms. Place in an oiled bowl, covered, for 1 hour, or until the dough is doubled in bulk.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy margarine, chopped pecans and cinnamon until combined.
4. Make the Sprinkles. In three small bowls, mix about ½ cup of sugar in each with just a few drops of desired food coloring. Mix well until desired color is achieved. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or round pizza pan.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle about 1/8” thick. Using a floured bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Cut each of the strips into triangles, each about 3 inches at their base. (Think of a zipper or zigzag pattern when you cut, alternating the tops of triangles with the bases.) With the tips of the triangles pointed inward, place the triangles in a circle on the prepared sheet, overlapping one over the other and pressing the edges to seal. Place an even amount of the filling on the centers of the triangles, and place the baby or dried bean somewhere on the filling. Fold the outsides of the triangles over the filling, so that the reach just over the filling. Fold the tips over, pressing slightly to adhere the tips to the outside of the ring. Cover the ring lightly with a paper towel or clean dish towel, and let rise for 20 minutes more.
7. Brush the cake lightly with coconut milk or soy milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack, and then transfer the cake to a serving platter large enough to catch excess icing.
8. Prepare the Icing. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and salt. Add the warm water and, stirring vigorously, stir until the mixture is a very thick glaze. Ladle the mixture over the cake in several additions, letting the icing run down the sides. While the icing is still slightly warm, sprinkle the prepared sprinkles over the cake, alternating sections of purple, green and yellow. Allow the icing to harden completely before serving.
