Mardi Gras Cake

Serves: 2

Hosea Feil

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

50

Spice

59

Sweetness

43

Sourness

43

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.6

Difficulty

Ingredients:

6 tbsps

Water

4.5 cups

Flour (unsifted)

1 tsp

Nutmeg

1 tsp

Mace

1 tsp

Salt

2 tsps

Lemon Zest

1 cup

Milk (warm)

1 tsp

Cinnamon

1 cup

Lemon Juice

Directions:

1

Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it

2

Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for 3 minutes and then mix thoroughly

3

Set bowl in a warm place for 10 minutes or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles in volume

4

Combine 3 1/2 cups flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg, mace and salt and sift into a large mixing bowl

5

Stir in lemon zest

6

Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk

7

Add egg yolks and using a wooden spoon slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast mixture

8

When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time

9

Continue to beat 2 minutes or until dough can be formed into a soft ball

10

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread

11

During the kneading, add 1 cup more of flour sprinkled over dough

12

When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic

13

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl with 1 tablespoon softened butter

14

Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until entire surface is buttered

15

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a draft-free space for 1 1/2 hours or until dough doubles in size

16

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on lightly floured surface

17

Punch the dough down

18

Sprinkle cinnamon over the top

19

Pat and shape dough into a cylinder

20

Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder into buttered baking sheet

21

Pinch the ends together to complete the circle

22

Cover the dough with a towel and set in draft-free space for 45 minutes until dough doubles in size

23

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

24

Brush top and sides of the cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown

25

Place cake on a wire rack to cool

26

If desired at this time hide the plastic baby in the cake

27

Combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water until smooth

28

If icing is too thick add more water

29

Spread icing over cake

30

Immediately sprinkle colored sugars in rows consisting of 2 rows each of green, purple and yellow