Mardi Gras Cake - A Quick Recipe

Green, Gold, Purple and Ready

© Eleanore Whitaker

Feb 20, 2009

Mardi Gras is the precurser to the Christian season of Lent. The celebrations in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, celebrate with fantastic displays, parades, floats and thousands of spirited spectators wearing costumes, masks and traditional beads in Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green. During Mardi Gras, revelers celebrate with a special cake. It's decorated with purple, gold and green icing and tucked inside is a small "doll" or a silver coin. As traditions go, he or she who finds the coin, finds prosperity for the rest of the year.

Mardi Gras Cake with Yeast Dough:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup currants

1. Place four in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, cinnamon and sugar.
2. Blend well until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. In a small pan, combine milk and vegetable oil
4. Stir until well blended
5. Heat the liquid to very warm temperature (until milk is scalded around pan rim)
6. Slowly add liquid to dry ingredients with beater at lowest speed
7. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes or until dough begins to pull away from bowl
8. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes until it becomes elastic
9. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let dough "rise" for 45 minutes.
10. Punch down dough and shape into a ring.
11. Insert Mardi Gras doll or Silver coin.
12. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
13. Allow to rise again for another 30 minutes
14. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until top is light golden brown

Ingredients:

• 2/3 c. butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla or lemon flavoring extract
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 2/3 c. enriched flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. milk

1. Cream butter, sugar and flavoring together until light and fluffy
2. Beat eggs separately until pale; add to mixture
3. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder
4. Add milk alternately
5. Beat 1/2 minute or by hand with 30 strokes.
6. Place in a greased Bundt or domed pan
7. Insert Mardi Gras Doll or Silver Coin
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, depending on oven temperature accuracy

Ingredients:

• 1 box prepared cake mix

1. Purchase a prepared cake mix.
2. Follow directions on package.
3. Insert the Mardi Gras doll or Silver coin.
4. Bake as directed.

Mardi Gras Icing

Ingredients:

• 3/12 cups of confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon butter flavored shortening.

1. Beat until creamy.
2. Separate into three small bowls of icing 1/3 in each bowl.
3. In 1st bowl add 2 drops yellow and 1 drop red food coloring to create "gold" icing.
4. In second bowl, add at least 3 drops green food coloring to create "green" icing. (The color should be darker green.)
5. Blend 3 drops blue food coloring and enough red food coloring to create purple icing.

Tip: To ice the cake, use a long strip of waxed paper on either side of the section to be iced so that colors don't run. To decorate further, place 4 maraschino cherries atop the cake for a "crown" appearance and sprinkle the top rim with pastel colored non-pareils.

Alternatives

Instead of vanilla flavoring for the cake, substitute lemon or brandy flavoring. Make sugared lemon slices by crystallizing slices in sugar and water for the "crystal" effect. Place at the base of the cake to give it a "finished" look.

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