My two favorite food bloggers, Lise from Mom Loves Baking and Jenna from The Painted Apron recently featured easy-to-make King Cakes using canned cinnamon rolls. Although I’ve had really good bakery-made King Cakes, they are usually a coffee-cake style, which to me is rather dry. The grocery store variety isn’t anything to rave about either, so I became very interested in this quick (cheater) method.

Lise (who is actually a college sorority sister of mine — more on that another day), kept her cinnamon rolls whole and arranged them in a ring, standing on their edges on a flat tray, while Jenna (who I met at a blogger’s meeting several years ago and lives part-time in Orange Beach) rolled the dough into smaller pieces and arranged them in a bundt cake pan, a-la monkey bread style. Both cakes looked AMAZING! (so I got hungry for King Cake).
I decided to do my own thing, while totally ripping them both off! Hahaha! (evil kitchen laugh).
I was a rebel and used both pre-packaged cinnamon rolls and regular biscuits (we alway called them “whop” biscuits, because you “whop” them on the edge of the counter to get the tube to pop open, but early in my marriage, my Italian husband flipped out because he thought I was saying, “WOP” which was a slur, (with-out- papers) that I had never heard in my life — we didn’t call people names in my family — but to keep the peace, I now just use the refined (boring) term, “canned”). Political correctness has hit my house at last.

Alternating the small pieces, I arranged them around the edge of a large (10×2) cake pan. I used two short cans of biscuits and one large can of cinnamon rolls.
I wanted really vivid colors, so I used Wilton food colorings in
Purple=Justice,
Green=Faith, and
Gold=Power.
A basic powdered sugar/water mixture was all I used to make a thick, but not too thick icing that I could drizzle over the top.
And as luck would have it, I’d just returned from Toomey’s Mardi Gras Store in Mobile, where they only sell plastic King Cake babies by the bag. It was just over $3 for 4 dozen!!! I figure I’ll be baking King Cakes long after I’m in the nursing home if I use one a year! Since Lise and Jenna shared their ideas with me, I think I’ll share my babies with them.
You poke the baby inside the cake from the bottom, and whoever receives the slice with the baby (representing the Christ Child) traditionally has to host the next party.
This “cake” turned out moist and sweet, but not too sweet, thanks to the regular biscuits being added. After I finished the cake, we attended a parade, and when my college son and friends came in later, they ate most of it. And guess who got the baby? My own son . . . so it looks like I need to fire up the oven again!
For lots more fun, quick and easy recipe ideas, check out the blogs of:
Lise – Mom Loves Baking
and Jenna – The Painted Apron
And to see over 100 Mardi Gras ideas and inspiration, check out my
Leslie Anne, I have never had a king cake (gasp)!!! But, I loved the sound of Jenna’s recipe when she posted it, and your little tweak made it your very own! As good as it looks, I don’t think it will pass on my Whole30 plan! Happy weekend!
You’re right about the diet restrictions for King Cake. Before Mardi Gras, I’m on the bread and sugar plan. Lent is looming!
I’ve always purchased my King cake but with all these recipes making it look so easy I may have to start baking. Looks so pretty and I know it has to be delicious. Like how you tweaked yours. I sure had a great beach getaway! So pretty in south AL……….
It was so good to see you and Jenna! What a treat — better than any old King Cake!
Sounds like a great way to make it, and yes, I love your Blue Angels beads.
I had Blue Angel beads several years ago, but alas, they didn’t last long (imagine that! Plastic beads made in China falling apart!) so when I saw more, I grabbed them!
I am flattered and thrilled to inspire your King Cake Leslie Anne! Your addition of biscuits is brilliant! And of course the plastic babies are the coveted prize, you will have to pass me along some for next year- I laughed out loud at the whop story, the whopping the can against the counter’s edge is one of the best parts of cooking! Thanks for the shout out and the link- Laissez les bon temps rouler!
If only to be a creative cook like you . . . ! Happy Mardi Gras and thanks for all the many, many tips!
You’re one clever girl, Leslie Anne! Your cake is fabulous! Thanks for the mention and send some babies my way please. ?
You are an inspiration! Babies on the way!