Mini King Cakes

Mini King Cakes! Keep the Mardi Gras tradition alive with these precious little King Cake Cuties. This post contains step-by-step instructions on making individual king cakes that are easy to package and share with family and friends for Mardi Gras celebrations.

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Note: This recipe was originally posted on February 22, 2012 and updated on February 9, 2021.

I love nothing more than a celebration with a traditional food element, so it's no wonder that once I learned about King Cakes (not having grown up in an area where they were a thing), I was smitten with the idea.

However, I also love distributing my baked goods to family, friends and neighbors, so it's easier to have individually packaged goodies rather than one big cake! That's how these mini king cakes came to be, and now, they're my favorite way to make and enjoy the festive treat.

Sweet cinnamon sugar is rolled up in dough and baked into precious, pint-sized king cakes that are then topped in a sweet glaze and decorated with colorful sanding sugar.

My shortcut method using bread dough may not be traditional, but it sure is delicious, and I can guarantee that anyone who receives one of these tiny treasures will be thrilled.

If you're looking for more recipes to add to your Mardi Gras celebration menu, check out some of these posts! 

• Vegetarian Muffuletta Bagel Sandwich 
• Shrimp Fricassee
• Hot Cajun Shrimp Dip
• Bananas Foster Sandwich Cookies

Jump to:

• What is a King Cake?
• King Cake Baby
• Mini King Cakes
• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Mini King Cakes

What is a King Cake?

King cake is a traditional cake that is usually served during the time period known as "Carnival", between the feast of the Epiphany (King's Day, January 6) and Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras (the day before Ash Wednesday, which starts of the Lenten season). 

It is a round or oval, sweet bread usually made of a rich brioche dough. Some king cakes are filled with cinnamon, while others contain cream cheese or fruit jam fillings. King cakes are traditionally adorned with sweet glaze or icing and topped with bright, decorative sugar or sprinkles in the jewel-tone colors of Mardi Gras -- purple, green and gold -- symbolizing justice, faith and power. 

This sweet tradition is thought to date back to Christian celebrations in Spain and France during the Middle Ages, and made their way to the New World where it evolved into a celebratory feast food, specifically in New Orleans.

King Cake Baby

Aside from the bright and bold sprinkles that give this crown-inspired baked good its signature look, King Cakes are also known for the unique figurine they all contain: a tiny, plastic baby meant to symbolize Baby Jesus. The lucky recipient of the slice containing the baby figure is said to be the "king of the day", and tradition calls for them to host the celebration the following year or purchase the next King Cake. 

Alternatively, some bakers prefer to use a fava bean in place of a plastic baby.

Mini King Cakes

Several years ago, I made a full-sized King Cake and found that it was a whole lot of work and a whole lot of cake! While it can certainly be cut and distributed to family, friends and neighbors, I really liked the idea of making individual mini king cakes that could be packaged and shared easily. 

These mini king cakes are so darn cute. Once they're decorated I like to put them into bright cupcake liners and place them in cellophane bags with Mardi Gras beads for a festive touch, then finish them of with a pretty ribbon. 

Ingredients

I have a little confession to make: I don't always use the same recipe when I make these mini king cakes. I've made them with various recipes from around the internet and even with frozen bread dough, like the one I use in these cinnamon rolls. Therefore, the "recipe" really isn't mine! The process, however, is one I've come up with on my own. 

If you have a preferred king cake recipe, feel free to use it. I've found that this recipe, halved, makes enough dough for 12 mini king cakes. Here are the ingredients in this particular version:

• Active dry yeast
• Sugar
• Water
• Sour cream
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Egg yolk
• All-purpose flour
• Sea salt
• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar
• Half & Half or milk
• Purple, green & gold sanding sugar or sprinkles 

For the cinnamon sugar filling I normally use, you will also need additional butter, sugar and, of course, cinnamon! Finally, you'll need a bit of extra vanilla extract for the simple glaze that you'll use to decorate the finished cakes. (I share the amounts for that in the recipe card below.)

If you go the frozen bread dough or crescent roll route, you'll only need the ingredients that I've made bold in the list above, as well as the dough itself. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

• Step 1: Make King Cake dough recipe, halved. Alternatively, you can use a loaf of frozen bread dough such as Bridgford or crescent roll dough, though it will not be traditional in flavor and texture. {They still turn out delicious, though!}
• Step 2: Once the dough has risen the first time, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface into a 12 x 17ish inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, liberally apply softened butter all over the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. {Alternatively, you can make with a cream cheese king cake filling or fruit jam filled king cake recipe.}
• Step 3: Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 4 inch wide strips from dough.

• Step 4:  Cut dough strip into mini rectangles. {About 2x4 inch}

• Step 5: Roll rectangles, jelly roll fashion, into little logs.

• Step 6: Bring ends together and pinch dough to seal the seam. {They should look like little donuts.}

• Step 7: Place in a buttered or sprayed mini bundt cake pan, and press down slightly. {If you don't have one of these pans, just use a muffin tin, donut pan or just place them on a baking sheet. The holes in the middle might close up while they bake, but they'll still be cute.}

• Step 8: Cover and let rise in a warm place, 20-30 minutes.
• Step 9: Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes, or until cakes start to get slightly golden in color. Let cool slightly, and remove from pans. Cool completely before icing and decorating.
• Step 10: Glaze & Decorate. To make the glaze, combine 1 cup of confectioners sugar with about 2 tablespoons of whole milk or half and half, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Dunk cakes upside down into glaze, and place right side up on a cooling rack with a foil lined pan underneath to catch drips. Sprinkle with colored sugar while still slightly wet.

Allow icing to set, then place in cupcake liners and package with Mardi Gras beads if desired!