Cinnamon Roll Mini King Cakes
Mardi Gras calls for something a little over the top, a little nostalgic, and easy enough to pull off when the festivities are rolling. These mini king cakes deliver all of that. It’s a shortcut that still feels like a celebration.
Ingredients
For the King Cakes
- 2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing included
- Cooking spray or butter for greasing the pan
For the Glaze
- Icing from the cinnamon rolls
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Decoration
- Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
- 1 plastic king cake baby
Directions
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Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the Bayou Classic 9x13 Cast Iron Baking Pan. -
Build the King Cakes
Unroll each cinnamon roll and fold in half longways. Holding at each end, twist the strip. Form the cinnamon roll twist into a circle and pinch the ends together to resemble a mini king cake. Tip: the looser the twist, the puffier the ring will be.
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Bake
Place mini king cakes in the cast iron pan. It should hold around 6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through. Cast iron retains heat, so edges will be perfectly crisp while the center stays soft. -
Mix the Glaze
While the cakes bake, whisk together the cinnamon roll icing, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. This will give your store bought icing a little more thickness and structure. -
Finish & Decorate
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool most of the way. Pick your favorite cake and insert a plastic baby into the bottom. Spoon the glaze generously over the king cakes, then immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar. -
Serve
For the best texture, serve immediately. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
PRO TIP: To kick this recipe up a notch, pipe dollops of flavoring (cheesecake and/or pie filling) into the twists.
