This quick and easy Shortcut Mardi Gras King Cake uses canned cinnamon rolls to give you all the king cake flavor with none of the work!
Hey folks! The Mardi Gras season is upon us! A while back I posted my recipe for a Mardi Gras King Cake that was a little more traditional and quite a bit more involved. This one, though, is super easy and will allow you to put some Mardi Gras color on your table in no time.
Using prepackaged cinnamon rolls in a Bundt cake pan, this super easy King Cake recipe isn’t exactly authentic, but it does the trick and tastes great! And, you still get to enjoy the fun colors of Mardi Gras without the mess of dishes brought on by a stand mixer and all that comes along with that. This delicious recipe provides all the Mardi Gras flavors in a Bundt pan with the fun traditional colors of Mardi Gras! It’s perfect for a festive breakfast and great for a quick and delicious dessert!
What is King Cake and why is it eaten?
King cake, a scrumptious sweet treat, becomes the main food event during Mardi Gras. Traditionally the King Cake is a cinnamon sugar filled dough twisted into a delightful ring that is topped with vibrant purple, green, and gold decorating sugars. It’s a festive treat that kicks off lively celebrations before the arrival of Lent. Here are a few more details about the King Cake that you might find interesting:
History of the King Cake
The king cake goes all the way back to medieval Europe when the people of that time would bake up the cake in celebration of the Epiphany, which represents the arrival of the Three Wise Men to meet baby Jesus. Over time the tradition landed in the United States, specifically New Orleans, Louisiana, where it became tied into the Mardi Gras celebration. While no one is certain how those two got joined together, it is what it is and frankly, I’m here for it because Mardi Gras is all about food and tradition, two things I absolutely love. Now to add a little excitement, bakers began sneaking in hidden trinkets or figurines into the cake, usually a baby figurine. Thus began the fun anticipation of who got the plastic baby in their slice of cake.
The Mardi Gras Colors of the King Cake
The fun colors on the King Cake—purple, green, and gold—aren’t just for eye candy. Those memorable colors each represent something. Purple stands for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These three values are supposed to widely represent the meaning behind the Mardi Gras season. So, as you savor each sweet bite, you’re also soaking in a reminder of these honorable values.
The Significance of the Small Plastic Baby
In most King Cakes you will find a tiny plastic baby hidden inside. The baby is said to symbolize the Three Wise Men’s journey to see baby Jesus. Find the baby in your slice, and you’re the honorary “king” or “queen” of the celebration. Some even say, finding the baby in your slice means you are the next host or baker of the King Cake. Good luck!
What kind of dough is king cake made from?
The traditional King Cake is made of a kneaded dough featuring delicious sugary, cinnamon flavors. The dough is then twisted or braided into a ring with cream cheese spread throughout and on top. And, the final fun touch is all the colors of Mardi Gras – yellow, green, and purple sugar sprinkles.
For this particular recipe, I give you a super easy shortcut – cans of store-bought jumbo cinnamon rolls. Don’t knock it ’til you try it! This cake is absolutely delicious! And, the best part… no need to bring out the butter, eggs, purpose flour, yeast, vanilla, or other long list of ingredients! Three simple items are all you need plus a Bundt pan and a small bowl to stir up the icing. And, there you have it… a delicious Mardi Gras cake in less than an hour! Enjoy!
Other King Cake Recipes:
I have made many variations of the King Cake in my day. Some are super simple, like this Quick and Easy Mardi Gras King Cake. And, others stick to the traditional nature of the original recipe. All are absolutely delicious if you ask me. Try them out, and let me know in the comment section below which one you like the best:
Mardi Gras King Cake – This particular King Cake recipe is all about tradition. It’s not the quickest or easiest version, but it’s definitely the closest to the traditional King Cake that has been eaten for generations. While it does take a bit more time, especially to whip up the dough, this recipe is absolutely decadent and filled with Mardi Gras pomp and circumstance.
King Cake Pull-Apart Bread – This bread is like the monkey bread version of the King Cake. It is so delicious and the perfect breakfast dish to incorporate into the Mardi Gras season. While it’s not quite as simple as the above recipe you still won’t need to whip out a standing mixer or a dough hook. With a little elbow grease, a plastic bag, mixing bowl, pan, and your ingredients, you will create this delicious monkey-bread inspired King Cake. I especially love the cream cheese glaze poured over top.
Ingredients
- 2 (17.5-ounce) cans jumbo cinnamon rolls with icing each tube has 5 rolls
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- sugar crystals in purple, yellow, and green
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a Bundt or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pop open the cinnamon roll tubes and remove the icing. Then line the bottom with the rolls. You may have to squeeze them in there.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cinnamon rolls are no longer gooey.
- Turn out onto platter to cool.
- In the meantime, mix the two icing packets with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese.
- Once the cake is cool, spread the icing and decorate with alternating sugar colors.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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I have made many of your recipes and enjoyed them very much, but the King Cake is missing one of the main ingredients – the filling. There is always a gooey filling of cream cheese, cinnamon, praline, chocolate, vanilla, or any other similar item of your choice. Although it is called a filling, it’s difficult to get it in the middle. The best solution is to stuff it between the cinnamon rolls til it is hidden, then bake. The easy recipe looks very good has good ratings, but some things are just worth the extra time and effort. P.S. If you don’t have a baby, we often use a kidney bean. The person that gets the baby has to bring a King Cake to the next event. From all the good folks in Louisiana to you: Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler (Let the Good Times Roll!)
Smart idea! I have a more traditional king cake, but with this shortcut version, I wanted to try to keep it as simple as possible. Mardi Gras King Cake
Delicious
Thanks, Regina!
Sooooo easy!
I did do a little extra. I unrolled the rolls and added cream cheese and more cinnamon with brown sugar. Rolled them back up and whala!
If you don’t have a bundle pan you can just overlap in the shape of a wreath. Thank you!
That sounds like a delicious twist! I love the idea of adding cream cheese and extra cinnamon—yum! Thanks for sharing your creative approach with the wreath shape too.
Brilliant idea! I just paid $28 for King Cakes at Rouses in Mobile and $77 to ship four to Connecticut. I’ll send them this recipe—it’s a winner!
Thanks so much, Patti!
Hello! I love the ease of so many of your recipes! I am a senior male who has suffered a stroke losing complete sight in one eye and partial sight in the other. I used to cook and bake and now have a caregiver who cooks while I tell him what and how to cook. Well my 70th birthday is on May 8 and I thought I would cook something around a theme of Cinco de Mayo and invite just a few people over to help me go into another decade. Any suggestions? I love spicey but some don’t. Thank you in advance
Hey there! First off, happy early 70th birthday! 🎉 What a great way to celebrate with a Cinco de Mayo theme! For a spicy option, you might consider making some simple zesty shrimp tacos with a mild salsa on the side for those who prefer less heat. You could also do a build-your-own nacho bar—just set out toppings like jalapeños, cheese, guacamole, and salsa so guests can customize their spice level. My Slow Cooker Carnitas might work, too! https://southernbite.com/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas/ Hope you have a fantastic time celebrating with your friends! Let me know if you need more ideas!
Thank you for the recipe , very easy.
I made the king cake today for Lundi Gras, very easy, thanks.
It’s looks absolutely perfect! So glad it turned out great for you!
I really wanted to like this recipe more than I did. I am a pretty confident baker and I knew it wouldn’t turn out like king cake, but I thought maybe it would do in a pinch. Next time I think I’d just skip the bundt pan, bake the cinnamon rolls and throw some tri-colored sprinkles on them. It was fine as it was, but not really worth it. And the instructions weren’t clear about how you are supposed to fit the rolls into the pan–flat? sideways? A better option for an easy king cake might be to use a cake mix box and put that in a bundt pan. Then finish with a simple frosting and sprinkles.
The instructions don’t include how to place them in the pan because it doesn’t really matter. If they all get in there, they’re going to bake up just fine. When you say it wasn’t worth it, what do you mean? In terms of flavor? Obviously, the prep is pretty minimal, so I’m just curious. I’m always looking for ways to improve! Thanks!
Could you put a little fruit filling in the middle of the cake before baking ?
I think you could absolutely do that! Enjoy!
Probably a stupid questions but are you stacking the cinnamon rolls on their sides or just flat? I can see that it would work either way but wondered which was best/preferred. Many thanks –
Not a stupid question at all! And you’re right, either way will work. I usually stack them in there on the side sort of overlapping one another – almost like a fan. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this recipe for several years and have always had excellent results–when I’ve waited for the cake to be ENTIRELY cool before drizzling the icing!
Glad to hear it! Yes, it needs to be totally cool or the heat from the cinnamon rolls will cause the icing to melt off entirely.
Can’t wait to make the quick and easy Mardi Giras Cake. I have always wanted to make one and now thanks to your posting this recipe – I can. Thanks again.
Hope it turns out great for you!
Super fun and easy for kids after school program–Love your easy and delicious recipes 🙂
Thanks Stacey!
Thanks, Juls!
Easy to make. I suggest pressing the rolls into the pan because my cake had spots it was coming apart even though I thought I had pressed it together enough. HIGHLY recommend the addition of the cream cheese to the can prepared frosting….really good and really fast to make. Put the baby in after the cake was completely cooled….Fun too!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I ordered a bunch of babies from Amazon but I’m making 2 king cakes without babies and when they get here Tuesday I’ll start making then with the babies. Lol! I can’t wait to use this fun simple recipe! Love you guys! -Gin
Thank, Gin! Have fun!
Can’t this be made a day in advance?
A few years ago I bought a package of 500 King Cake “babies.” I really like this easy King Cake recipe … it should help to crank out King Cakes as fast as possible. I only need 423 more.
LOL! Good luck, Daryle! That’s a lot of babies! 🙂
could you send me one? I forgot to get some and I’m making King Cakes today, lol.
I can’t wait to try this beautiful King Cake, but what about the baby Jesus…..isn’t He supposed to be hidden in the cake?
It is tradition to have a baby in the cake. Feel free to stick one int here somewhere before you add the glaze. 🙂
Your cookbook arrived Friday…but before that I had stumbled upon your site and found this recipe….going to give it a try for tomorrow nites “girl” get together. We love to try different foods from around. Some of us that meet at this once a month gathering are transplant from the north, retired military, and good ole southern ladies (GA peach here). Can’t wait to tell them all about your site and cookbook.
Hi Gerri! Thanks so much for your support and for sharing the word! Y’all enjoy!
ok sooo I’m a bit of a newbie in the kitchen (oh Lordy) but when/ how do you add the baby?
THANK YOU!!
xo
I’d just cut a hole somewhere after it’s cool, insert the baby, and then cover that spot back up with extra icing and sugar crystals.
The food look delicious. Will you share the ingredients and where can we buy them?
SUPER EASY!!! I love this recipe and even though I don’t like cinnamon I am sure to try this!
WOW! You’re the King of Mardi Gras King Cakes.
This is the best I have ever found.
Thank you for sharing.