This coming Tuesday is known as Fat Tuesday. It’s the end of the Carnival season and it’s known as Fat Tuesday because it’s the last day to eat, drink and be merry before the beginning of Lent and Ash Wednesday. A popular item eaten during the Carnival season and especially on Fat Tuesday is a King Cake!
A King Cake is traditionally a round or oval cinnamon flavored cake with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold on top with a sweet icing. Hidden inside the King Cake is a small baby and whoever gets the slice with the baby in it is usually the King {or Queen!} of the party. Recently though it has been if you find the baby, you’re responsible for bringing the King Cake the next year!
This is a fun twist on the famous King Cake that kids will especially love. You can make this with just plain white cake or add the cinnamon like the traditional King Cake.
King Cake in a Jar
Ingredients
- 2 boxes white cake mix
- 6 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2.5 cups of water
- 2/3 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon of vanilla
- 6 egg whites
- Gel food coloring from Wilton – green, yellow and purple
- Small plastic baby
King Cake Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In large bowl, mix together cake mix, water, vegetable oil, cinnamon, vanilla and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be a little lumpy.
- Divide batter evenly into 3 different bowls. Add green food coloring to one bowl, purple to another and yellow to the third bowl and mix until white batter turns colored.
- Either spoon in the batter into mason jar to make layers of green, purple and yellow or pour into an icing bag to pipe it into the jar evenly. I used a spoon so this made it a little bit more messy than if I used a bag!
- Fill cake batter in mason jar only about 1/2 way – it will rise!
- Place mason jars into a large casserole dish and fill with about an inch of water. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Let cool.
Icing Ingredients
- 3 2/3 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons of milk
Icing Directions
- In large mixing bowl, mix together butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Slowly add milk in until thickened.
Once your jars have cooled, cut off a little bit of the top of the cake so you have room for the frosting. Pick one of the cakes and stick the baby in the middle. Scoop frosting on top of the cake. Screw the top on and you’re ready to enjoy at your Mardi Gras party!
