King Cake Lemon Cream Cheese (Printable)

Golden braided bread filled with tangy lemon cream cheese and topped with colorful sugar.

# Components:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 1/2 cup warm water
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

09 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
13 - 1 egg yolk

→ Egg Wash

14 - 1 egg
15 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Glaze and Decoration

16 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice or milk
18 - Purple, green, and gold colored sanding sugar

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm water, milk, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add sugar, eggs, melted butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well until combined.
03 - Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
05 - Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk; blend until creamy. Set aside.
06 - When dough has risen, punch down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10 by 18-inch rectangle.
07 - Spread lemon cream cheese filling lengthwise down the center third of the dough rectangle.
08 - Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal strips approximately 1 inch wide along both sides of the filling, leaving the ends intact.
09 - Fold the strips over the filling, alternating sides to create a braided pattern. Tuck the ends under to seal.
10 - Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
11 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
12 - Brush the braid with egg wash. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
13 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice or milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled braid.
14 - Immediately sprinkle with colored sanding sugars in alternating stripes of purple, green, and gold.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tangy lemon filling cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes people ask for the recipe before they've finished their first slice.
  • That braided crown shape looks like you spent hours in a professional bakery, but the technique is more forgiving than it looks.
  • It's the kind of bread that fills your whole kitchen with warmth and possibility while it bakes.
02 -
  • If your dough seems too sticky after kneading, it's probably fine—better slightly tacky than dry and dense; flour absorbs liquid differently depending on humidity.
  • The egg yolk in the filling isn't just richness; it helps the filling set without becoming grainy or separating during baking.
03 -
  • Some families hide a plastic baby or a whole almond inside the baked cake—tradition says whoever finds it gets good luck for the year, and it makes the whole thing feel like a celebration game.
  • Make the filling the night before and refrigerate it; cold filling is easier to spread evenly and less likely to seep into the dough during the second rise.
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