Store-bought crescent dough sheets make prep-work a breeze for this yummy and festive king cake.
Quick & Easy King Cake
Serves: Makes 1 (12-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped Granny Smith apples
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dough sheet*
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Orange Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium saucepan, toss together apples and orange zest and juice. Add sugar mixture, stirring until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until juices start to simmer; cook until thick and spatula leaves a trail when pulled through filling, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat,
- and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Let cool completely. (To cool faster, refrigerate, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cool. Filling can also be made the day before and refrigerated.)
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour; on prepared surface, unroll dough sheets, and stack on top of each other. Roll into an 18x11-inch rectangle. Spread apple mixture evenly on dough, leaving a border on one long side. Starting on long side opposite border, roll up dough, jelly roll style, pinching seam to seal. Place log, seam side down, on work surface. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut in half lengthwise. Gently twist halves, cut sides up, together. Form into a circle, pinching ends to seal. Carefully place dough on prepared pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash on top and sides of wreath.
- Bake until deep golden brown, 28 to 30 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking. Let cool completely on pan. Top with Orange Glaze.
Notes
*We used Pillsbury Original Crescent Dough Sheet.
Orange Glaze
Serves: about 1⁄2 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- Yellow, green, and purple food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and orange juice until smooth. If using food coloring, divide glaze among 3 bowls, and add 2 to 3 drops of desired food coloring to each bowl. Use immediately.
