Sourdough King Cake Recipe

Sourdough king cake topped with white glaze and purple, green, and gold sanding sugar on a festive Mardi Gras table

4.56 from 9 votes

This sourdough king cake bakes up with a soft, brioche-style crumb, a cinnamon cream cheese filling wound through every slice, and golden lacy edges where the open braid exposes the layers during baking.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Additional Time6

Total Time7

Course: Dessert, Sourdough

Cuisine: France

Servings: Cake

Calories: 4995kcal

Author: Emily Rider

Equipment

1 Large mixing bowl or stand mixer
1 Rolling Pin
1 Sharp knife or bench scraper
1 Parchment lined baking sheet
1 Instant read thermometer
1 Wire rack
1 Small Mixing Bowl
1 Whisk

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 cup active sourdough starter at peak activity, 240 grams
¾ cup warm milk 90 to 95°F, 180 grams
¼ cup melted butter 57 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
2 large eggs room temperature, 100 grams
3½ cups bread flour 420 grams

For the Filling

½ cup brown sugar packed, 110 grams
2 tablespoons granulated sugar 25 grams
2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon 5 grams
3 tablespoons butter softened, 42 grams
1 teaspoon almond extract 4 grams
8 ounces cream cheese fully softened, 226 grams

For the Glaze

1½ cups powdered sugar 180 grams
2 to 3 tablespoons milk 30 to 45 grams
½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 grams
¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars, for decorating

Instructions

Mix the dough – Combine the active sourdough starter, warm milk, melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer and mix until smooth. Add the bread flour gradually and mix until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms with no dry flour remaining.
Develop the gluten – Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, or mix on medium speed in a stand mixer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Bulk ferment the dough – Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature until it has grown by 30 to 50%. This typically takes 4 to 8 hours depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen. Watch the dough, not the clock.
Chill before shaping – Once bulk fermentation is complete, refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. Cold dough rolls out cleaner and holds the braid shape better through twisting and forming.
Roll out the dough – Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle, keeping the thickness as even as possible from edge to edge for a uniform bake.
Make the filling – Stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and Ceylon cinnamon, then blend in the softened butter and almond extract until smooth. Mix in the fully softened cream cheese until creamy and easy to spread.
Spread the filling – Spread the filling evenly over the rolled dough, leaving a 1 inch border around all edges. Use light, even pressure so the filling covers the surface without tearing the dough.
Roll into a log – Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly and evenly into a log. Place it seam side down on your work surface so it holds its shape while you prepare to slice.
Slice lengthwise – Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the log lengthwise all the way through from one end to the other with a clean, confident cut that fully exposes the layers of filling inside.
Twist into a braid – Turn both halves cut side up so the filling faces upward. Gently twist the two pieces around each other, keeping the exposed filling on top throughout so the lacy edges form during baking.
Shape into a ring – Transfer the twisted braid to a parchment lined baking sheet and curve it into a ring. Press the ends together firmly to seal so the ring holds its shape in the oven.
Final rise – Cover the ring loosely and let it rest for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F. It will not double in size but should feel slightly lighter and puffier when gently pressed with a fingertip.
Bake until golden – Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until deeply golden all over and the internal temperature reads 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. The filling should be bubbling at the edges and the center should feel set when pressed.
Make the glaze – Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and pourable. The glaze should ribbon off the whisk but still have enough body to set on top of the cake rather than soaking in.
Glaze and decorate – Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, at least 45 minutes to an hour, before glazing. Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled cake, then immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars so they adhere before the glaze sets. Insert the king cake baby from the bottom once everything has set if using, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Use your starter at peak activity – Feed your starter 4 to 6 hours before mixing and wait until it has domed and is visibly bubbly. Enriched doughs ferment more slowly than lean sourdough, so a strong active starter makes a noticeable difference in the final rise.

Keep the dough soft – This dough is supposed to feel soft and slightly tacky because of the butter, eggs, and sugar. Adding extra flour produces a dense crumb rather than a tender one. If the dough is sticking to your hands, rub them lightly with oil instead.

Soften the butter and cream cheese fully – Both need to be at room temperature before mixing the filling. If either is too cold the filling will not spread smoothly and will tear the dough. Pull them out at least an hour before you plan to fill the cake.

Check doneness with a thermometer – Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the ring and pull it when it reads 190°F. The outside gets deeply golden before the center is fully baked, so color alone is not a reliable doneness check.

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