What is a King Cake and how did I make it?

I decided to make a King Cake for trivia night.  Granted, they are usually served Fat Tuesday and this was for Ash Wednesday, but that is okay.  I had no idea, really, what a king cake was, so I went looking and discovered there are many options, but it is very much like a sweet bread/sweet roll.  If you are interested in a history of King Cake, go here. 

The tradition includes hiding a trinket, usually a baby, in the cake.  I found multi color metallic babies on Amazon to add after the cake was baked.  This recipe makes two cakes.

Dough
16 Ounces Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
4.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1/2 Cup Warm Water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
6 - 7 cups bread flour

Combine sour cream, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and cook over low heat until butter is melted.  Cool to less than 110 degrees.

Stir together yeast and warm water and let stand to bloom.

Once sour cream mixture is cooled so it doesn't kill the yeast, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer with 2 cups flour, 2 eggs and yeast.  Beat at medium with paddle attachment until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining 4 cups flour, beating until a smooth dough.  Turn to low, add additional flour 2 Tbl at a time until smooth and elastic.  You cannot over beat, but you can add to much flour.  It will be a little tacky, but it will pull away from the paddle easily.

Grease a bowl, add the dough and turn over to grease entirely.  Let rise until double.

Meanwhile, make the Filling
16 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup Granulated SugaR
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Fresh Ground Nutmeg
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 Cup finely chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

Beat the cream cheese, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.  Beat in egg.  Set aside.

Cut a template from Parchment Paper that is 22 inches by 12 inches. 

Once dough has completed rising, gently punch it down and divide in half.  I chose to weigh the entire amount so I could divide evenly, but that is your choice.  Keep 1/2 covered, lightly flour a surface and roll the other half into a rectangle that fits your template.  Spread with half the filling, let 1 inch on a long side and 1/2 inch on other three.  Sprinkle with half the nuts.  Start rolling on a long side - rolling toward the 1 inch border.  Bring the ends of the roll together, moisten with water and pinch to seal.  Place on a silicone baking mat, cover and let to rise until doubled.  Repeat with second half of dough.

Heat oven to 350.  Uncover dough rings and make until deep golden brown and done - about 30 minutes.  Rotate shelves in your oven after 15 minutes.

Set pans on wire racks.  Cool completely before decorating.

Topping
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 Cup butter, melted
1 Tbl vanilla
3 - 5 Tbl Whole milk
Purple green and gold (or yellow) sparkling sugar

Stir together powdered sugar, butter and vanilla.  Stir in milk 1 Tbl at a time until thick but pourable.  It should still be opaque.

Remove pans from racks.  Place racks over wax or parchment paper.  Move cakes from pans to racks.  If you are using trinkets, turn the cake over, make a small slit and insert the trinket.  Turn right side up before placing on the rack.

Pour the topping evenly over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  Decorate with sparkling sugar.