February 20, 2013 King Cake with Dinosaurs

Cold this morning. Fingers of frail clouds splayed across the pale sky.  It is so clear that you can see the mountains of the escarpment of the Blue Ridge to the North West.

After a brisk walk, I went home and baked two King Cakes, traditional Christian (especially Catholic)
cakes made originally related to Epiphany, Jan 6th, the day the ancient kings visited the new born baby Jesus.  The season can last from 12th night (Jan 5) through the lenten season and Mardi Gras.

I made a rich yeast raised dough, rolled with butter and cinnamon into a ring and iced with lemon/vanilla butter icing decorated in purple, gold and green sugars (the colors of mardi gras).  Traditionally, there is a tiny plastic baby Jesus baked in the cake or under the cake.  Whoever finds it gets a special privilege or treat.  I could not find a baby Jesus, so I used tiny plastic baby dinosaurs, which I placed under the cake or the children to find.

I found a recipe from the Ladies of the Philoptochos Society of Charleston (Popular Greek Recipes 1976) for a Vasilopeta which is a cake made for a similar celebration.  My cake comes from Southern Living magazine circa 2009.

1 16 oz container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt:             Cook these four ingredients together over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts,Cool.

Stir together 2 envelps active dry yeast, 1/2 cup warm water and one Tblsp sugar in a glass measuring cup
and let sit five minutes.  Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixtures, 2 beaten eggs and 2 cups flour until smooth.
Gradually add 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour until a soft dough forms.  Turn dough onto floured surface.  Knead about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place about until hour until doubled.
Punch down and roll out into( 2) 22   x 12 in. rectangles. Spread 1/3 cup soft butter. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over and roll dough like a jellyroll. Form into a ring on a cookie sheet.
Let rise 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 14 to 16 minutes. Cool. Drizzle with glaze:
3 c powdered sugar/3 Tbsp melted butter/2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice/ 1/4 tsp vanilla extract/2 to 4 Tbsp milk.
Spread over cake. Decorate with purple, gold and green sugars, the colors of mardi gras.