Description
This Shortcut Mardi Gras King Cake is a festive and easy-to-make dessert using canned jumbo cinnamon rolls. Featuring a cream cheese-infused icing and colorful purple, yellow, and green sugar crystals, it captures the spirit of Mardi Gras without the effort of making a traditional King Cake from scratch. Perfect for celebrations, this cake bakes in under an hour and serves eight.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 (17.5-ounce) cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing (each tube has 5 rolls)
Icing
- 2 icing packets from cinnamon rolls
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Decoration
- Sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a Bundt or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the cinnamon rolls: Open the two cans of jumbo cinnamon rolls and carefully remove the icing packets, setting them aside. Line the bottom of the prepared pan with all the cinnamon rolls, squeezing them in snugly to create a compact base.
- Bake the cake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are golden-brown and no longer gooey in the center.
- Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and carefully invert it onto a serving platter. Allow it to cool completely before adding the icing.
- Prepare the cream cheese icing: In a bowl, combine the two reserved icing packets with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese. Mix until the icing is smooth and creamy.
- Ice and decorate: Once the cake has fully cooled, spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the top. Decorate the cake with alternating purple, yellow, and green sugar crystals to reflect traditional Mardi Gras colors.
Notes
- Ensure the cake is fully cooled before icing to prevent melting and sliding.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar crystals based on your decorative preference.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat cream cheese and consider letting the cake rest overnight for flavors to meld.
- This recipe is best served fresh but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
