Muffuletta
The New York Times
487 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
487
30 minutes
Caramelized Apple King Cake
- Total Time
- 6 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:12 to 16 servings
- 3medium Granny Smith apples (340 grams/¾ pound), peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
- ½packed cup/110 grams brown sugar
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
- 1(¼-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
- ¼cup warm water
- 3tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the bowl
- ½teaspoon fine salt
- 1cup/226 grams sour cream
- 1large egg
- 3cups/390 grams all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- Egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water), for brushing the dough
- 1plastic baby, for decorating
- 4ounces/113 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼teaspoon orange blossom water
- 3cups/330 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 2tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- Purple, gold and green sparkling sugar or edible glitter sprinkles, for decorating
For the Filling
For the Dough
For the Frosting
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
393 calories; 14 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 131 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the filling: Place the apples, brown sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ½ cup water in a large saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are completely softened but still retain their shape, about 25 minutes. Watch carefully near the end and stir as the mixture will begin to stick to the pan as it caramelizes. Set aside.
- Step 2
While the apples cook, prepare the dough: In a small bowl, mix yeast, warm water and 1½ teaspoons sugar. Set aside to allow yeast to become active and foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 3
In a medium saucepan, combine butter with salt and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and melt over medium-low heat, about 4 minutes. Whisk in sour cream until incorporated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter mixture, yeast mixture, 1 egg and 1½ cups/195 grams flour. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Gradually add remaining 1½ cups/195 grams flour and continue to mix until a dough forms.
- Step 5
On a floured work surface, knead the dough by hand, adding more flour if needed, until the dough is elastic and smooth, 5 to 12 minutes. It should be sticky but not sticking to the surface. Butter a large bowl and place dough inside. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Step 6
Gently punch down the dough, transfer it to a floured work surface, and roll it out into a 24-by-12-inch rectangle. Be gentle so as to not tear the dough. Spread the apple filling on one long side of the dough to cover half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the edges. Starting with the long side closest to you, fold the border over the filling and tightly roll up the dough in a spiral, enclosing the apple filling as you go. Carefully transfer the roll seam side down to a large parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Moisten ends with water, then bring both ends together to form a ring. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough rises, heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 7
Brush the egg wash all over the cake. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours before frosting.
- Step 8
While cake cools, make the frosting: In a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and orange blossom water. Mix slowly by hand or with a hand or stand mixer until well combined, then gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until incorporated. Continue mixing while slowly adding the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin out the frosting. The frosting should be thin enough to spread, but not too runny.
- Step 9
Carefully flip the cooled cake and cut a small X in the bottom of the ring. Insert the plastic baby and flip the cake back over. Frost the cake and decorate with alternating stripes of gold, green and purple sprinkles.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mary Thomas
I made this pastry this afternoon. It goes together very well, but the warning to avoid tears in the dough as it is rolled out is a clue to its delicacy. Even though I was careful, the dough split into some tears and the filling looked like it was going to spill over the cookie sheet. I made foil folds around the edges of the sheet to avoid that. It smells wonderful, and I know it will taste delicious. I will frost it in the morning, and it will be fun to serve it in honor of Three Kings Day.
Matt
When I bake king cake with a filling that has some moisture, e.g. cherry pie filling, I usually cut a few small vents on top so the steam doesn’t blow a hole through the sides. The frosting covers any bubbly vents after the cake cools.
Michael
Please please please do not bake the cake WITH the baby inside.
Donna P
I wanted to share with my friend, so I followed the recipe until rolling out the dough, when I split it into two smaller cakes. Dough didn’t tear, though my apples took almost 20 minutes longer than specified to reach the desired texture. The frosting is delicious — it will be my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe. I’d never made or eaten a King Cake before and was conservative in my application of frosting. After tasting the cake, I wish I’d frosted it generously, more like a cinnamon roll.
Cat
When I'm out of babies I use a red bean. Works well, and no need to raid the legos
rebecca
This was so good! I didn’t have a problem with tearing by rolling as big as my cutting board instead of the full 24 inches. I needed to add some cooking time (15 mins) so the inside of the ring was cooked. I covered the rest of the it with tin foil during the extra time so it wouldn’t over-brown. I did less confectioners sugar with the icing so it was still sweet. I bought white sanding sugar and used one drop of food coloring to make 3 small bowls of the needed colors.
Bev
BEST KING CAKE EVER! I’m from S. Louisiana so I’ve made and bought many king cakes and this is the best. The dough is tender and moist and the filling is superb. I didn’t have orange blossom water so I used orange zest and I used a pecan half for the baby. I also spread this over two days by making the filling and the dough the day before. I refrigerated the dough after the first rise and let it come to room temperature before rolling it the next day.
Scot
From my experience as a bread baker and in making this today — the trick to making sure the dough doesn’t tear is to make sure it’s very well kneaded, so the gluten gets developed enough to make it stretchy. This also makes nice layers in the dough, though the dough is still quite tender from the sour cream.
Marguerite
Use for apple filling and cream cheese frosting.
Stacey
I made this and followed instructions to the letter! I had some trouble keeping the ends together, but the rest of the components were perfect! I couldn’t figure out how to get the precise pattern shown in the picture, but it still turned out pretty! I hope it tastes as good as it looks!
JS
Loved it! Made it as written except used orange extract instead of orange blossom water since I made this on a whim. It was fine.
Christina
Cream cheese!
Annaine
I’m intrigued about the origins of this cake - is it descended from the ‘galette des rois’, which is a frangipane-filled, flaky pastry ‘pie’ traditionally eaten on 6 January or the Feast of the Epiphany and afterwards in France? King cake would be a literal translation. Another similarity is that a bean (fève) or other figure is usually baked into it as well and it comes with a gold paper crown which the person who finds the bean gets to wear and be ‘king’ for the day.
Katrina
I've made this two years in a row, and I love it! Personally, I found the dough very easy to work with and had no issues with tearing. In case others are curious, there was no way I was going to hand knead the dough, so I let it go in my stand mixer for about 10 minutes. This worked just fine! The icing is sweet, but when it comes to King Cake, you might as well go all out. Finally, recommend spreading out the work over two days — mixing, proofing, and baking the first, decorating the second.
Maggie
Made this exactly as the recipe is written with the exception of using orange extract in the frosting because I could not find orange blossom water. Turned out great! We will definitely be making this again next year.
Karen
Will soy sour cream work the same chemically in the dough, or is this cake off limits to dairy allergic?
melinda
First time making a king cake. I think I left the egg out of the dough because I was obsessing over how to roll it up. It was fine though. No one but me noticed. I didn’t use all the confectioners sugar since it was dusted with sugar. Next time I will spread the apples over the middle or the whole thing as I had some seepage. Will definitely try again. Next year around Mardi Gras time.
Patty
Pretty annoyed at this recipe and haven't even gotten in the oven yet. Dough was way too sticky, even after I added a ton more flour. Apples way too runny even after cooking twice as long. gooey mess on a cookie sheet, lots of wasted liquid everywhere. It better be darn good.
Laura
Made this lovely rich dough as directed and let it rise over six hours in the refrigerator. Rolled out to the full dimensions on my silicone baking mat and then transferred the shaped dough by flipping it onto the baking sheet. Despite my best efforts at sealing, the filling leaked. I’ll definitely make this again but will roll it out to 24” x 9” instead. The caramelized apple filling is delicious but made this a more challenging bake.
Bev
BEST KING CAKE EVER! I’m from S. Louisiana so I’ve made and bought many king cakes and this is the best. The dough is tender and moist and the filling is superb. I didn’t have orange blossom water so I used orange zest and I used a pecan half for the baby. I also spread this over two days by making the filling and the dough the day before. I refrigerated the dough after the first rise and let it come to room temperature before rolling it the next day.
Elizabeth Sanders
Hi. I used to make King Cakes every year. Then I was diagnosed with celiac. Does anyone have suggestions about making this with gluten free flour? Just hoping... thanks
Marble Hill Living (upstate central NY)
I'ver tried quite a few gluten free dough recipes for my sausage bread (using Bob's Red Mill cup for cup with Xantham gum, etc) , and I just can not get it to roll out. This dough recipe looks alot like the dough I use for sausage bread, except it has sour cream in it. With that noted, the dough ends up sort of like biscuit dough, so I mix in my ground sausage, cheese, etc with the dough and I bake it in either large cup cakes. Find a GF dough recipe and mix in the apples and bake them.
Peter
Was intimidated by this recipe but made it for Thanksgiving with no baby and I don’t know if I got it exactly right but it was SO GOOD. My weekend guests kept going back for more!
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