Easy Homemade Mardi Gras King Cake

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes two small King Cakes)
1 stick butter, softened
2 – 8oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 egg, separated
2 tsp vanilla
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
½ cup chopped pecans
Blue and pink food coloring
Yellow and green sugar sprinkles
Non stick spray

STEPS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat one cream cheese, egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and ¾ cup powdered sugar till smooth. Add chopped pecans till just blended.

Open can of crescent rolls and unroll out entire piece of dough carefully so as not to break at the perforations. Place on baking pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. With damp fingers press out the dough to close up the perforations and lightly expand the dough.  In center of the dough cut an x the size of 1 – 2 inches and push dough back to form a center hole. Repeat with the other can to form second cake.

Spread evenly half of the cream cheese mixture around the center of the dough leaving approximately 1 – 2 inches from center. Repeat with remaining half of cream cheese mixture on the other dough.

With damp hands, carefully grab dough, covering cream cheese mixture, overlapping is ok, and pinch down at the center hole. With damp fingers press the dough together well. If any of the perforations have re-opened, use wet fingers to re-close. It’ OK for some of the cream cheese mixture to ooze out during baking.

Beat egg white and with pastry brush, brush beaten egg over the entire top of each of the King cakes.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Cool before icing.

For the Icing: Cream 8 oz cream cheese, stick of butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 ½ cups powdered sugar till well blended. With mixer running, carefully drop 15 drops of pink coloring and 9 drops of blue coloring to make purple icing. Scrape sides often and mix until well blended. Transfer icing to large freezer zip lock bag. Snip off one of the corners to pipe icing over King Cakes. Sprinkle top with sugar sprinkles.

The Kate Shepard House Bed and Breakfast
1552 Monterey Place
Mobile, 36604
(251) 479-7048
kateshepardhouse.com

The Kate Shepard House is a bed and breakfast located in historic midtown, close to everything Mobile has to offer and is minutes from downtown, shopping and unique neighborhood restaurants.  Elegant accommodations in one of Mobiles most significant architectural gems.

About the Guest:
Celebrating her tenth year as owner and innkeeper of The Kate Shepard House, Wendy James, was born and raised in the south and knows a little something about hospitality. Rave reviews from guests attest to her love of the southern food she serves and her love for her beloved South. From the historic home built in 1897 in Midtown Mobile, guests from all over the world hear about Mobiles unique history and the amazing story of the life of Kate Shepard and her amazing southern roots. The Kate Shepard House is featured in US visitors guides as well as international visitors guides. Visit kateshepardhouse.com for more information on this amazing architectural gem and the treasure that was uncovered in the attic.

The Kate Shepard House is one of Mobiles most significant and most recognizable pieces of architecture. Featured in numerous architectural books this house is one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Victorian architecture on the Gulf Coast. It’s the original home of Kate Shepard an educator who ran a private boarding and day school in the house, as early as 1910 until 1952. The Kate Shepard Elementary School bares her name.