King Cake with Cream Cheese Dough

Make the dough. In a small bowl, mix the yeast, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ¼ cup warm water. (Water should be about 100 degrees; if it’s too hot you’ll kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise.)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cream cheese (the cream cheese won’t fully melt, but that’s okay). Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and yeast mixture. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, and remaining ½ cup of sugar. Add the egg yolk mixture all at once and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until a smooth, elastic ball forms. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise for 1 ½ hours.

Make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the almond paste, 4 ounces of the cream cheese, egg, flour, 4 tablespoons of the butter, and ½ cup of the powdered sugar until combined. (I found it easiest to mix the almond paste and cream cheese together first with my clean hands.) 

When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll one piece of the dough into a rectangle 18 to 20 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide. Spread the dough with half of the filling and roll up, starting with the long end of the dough. Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling. You’ll have two rolled ropes of dough. Pinch the seams of each rope together to close them.

Line the dough ropes up and, starting from the center, make a basic twist until all the dough is twisted. Bring the beginning and end of the twist together to seal into a circle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cake on top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the cake rest for 30 minutes.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Brush the cake lightly with an egg wash made from beating the egg whites with a fork. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. Let cool completely.

Make the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat 4 ounces of the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, and 1 cup of powdered sugar until well combined and smooth. Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars. Tuck the baby inside the cake, pushing it in from the bottom of the cake.