Mini Sourdough King Cakes
My mini sourdough king cakes are the perfect treat for celebrating Epiphany, AKA Jesus being in the world! These cakes are similar to the traditional New Orleans-style, just miniature and made with wholesome ingredients like pure maple syrup. They’ve got the taste and texture of a fluffy cinnamon roll spread with a lightly sweetened buttercream glaze and naturally colored decorating sugar. I love enjoying these warm, right out of the oven! I hope they find a special place on your table before the season of Lent begins!
This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to create content for Plum Branch Home. Recipes, blog posts, photos, videos, podcasts, social media content: everything is made from scratch by me, Molly LaFontaine. After developing my recipes, they’re tested 2x by my husband, Tyler, and I before publishing. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!
If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
Inspiration Behind My Mini Sourdough King Cake Recipe
When I was a little girl, I remember my mom bringing home a king cake for Mardi Gras from the grocery store. I had never had one and got very excited when I found out there was a little baby hidden somewhere in the cake.
Little did my mom know I would try to eat almost the entire full-sized king cake in the following days so I could be the one to find the baby.
Let’s just say I got a little too excited and ended up with a stomachache from all that sugar! Funny enough, my mom never got another one. I think I was the reason, haha!! So every time I see a king cake, I can’t help but chuckle thinking of that memory.
This year, as I’ve dived deeper into my faith, I wanted to develop a recipe of my own to celebrate Epiphany. This is the day, January 6th, we celebrate the 3 wise men visiting baby Jesus, marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas.
I wanted my recipe to be the traditional New-Orleans-style with a cinnamon center, glazed, and decorated with the three colors of sprinkles. I’m so excited to share my recipe with you! I hope it helps you make your own king cake this year instead of buying one at the grocery store!
What is King Cake?
King cake is a soft bread, think of brioche or cinnamon roll dough, filled with cinnamon, glazed, and decorated with purple, green, and yellow decorating sugar. It’s perfectly sweet and fluffy. The traditional New Orleans, Louisiana-style king cake is shaped into a big oval, but I’ve divided my dough into four and used them to braid mini rings.
The three different colored sprinkles — purple, green, and yellow/gold — represent:
- Purple symbolizes justice
- Green symbolizes faith/growth
- Gold symbolizes prosperity and wealth
What is New Orleans-Style King Cake?
A traditional New Orleans-style king cake is filled with cinnamon, shaped into one large oval, glazed, and decorated with purple, green, and yellow decorating sugar. Sometimes at New Orleans bakeries, you can find king cakes filled with cream cheese and raspberry filling.
Many places will include the plastic baby inside the cake, symbolizing baby Jesus. If you are the one to find the baby, it signifies good luck and responsibility, usually to supply next year’s king cake for those around you!
When Do You Serve King Cake and what is the Tradition?
King cakes are traditionally served from January 6th, Epiphany, through Fat Tuesday. So, the day marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas until the day before Ash Wednesday. This time is known as the Carnival season, or the season before fasting for lent.
Why We Love This Mini King Cake Recipe and Think You Will Too
- Miniature version: These little mini versions allow you to easily share with others and enjoy a whole king cake yourself without eating too much!
- Wholesome Ingredients: The ingredients are simple and wholesome!
- Sweetened with Pure Maple Syrup: The king cake and cinnamon filling are sweetened with a little pure maple syrup so it’s not too sweet!
- Cute and Fun to Make: They’re really fun to make and easy to braid. Friends and family will love them!
- Simple Steps: The steps are easy and simple to follow; even beginners can make this recipe.
- Make as a Tradition: You can start making this king cake recipe every year to celebrate Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season. That’s what my husband, Tyler, and I are doing!
My Tips for Making Sourdough King Cake
- Read the entire recipe before getting started so you know what to expect.
- Make sure your sourdough starter is fed and active before making this recipe.
- Use pure maple syrup instead of regular sugar so the dough isn’t overly sweet.
- Be sure to let the dough bulk ferment and proof for the full time. This ensures they’re light and fluffy.
- Let the king cakes cool for a few minutes before adding the buttercream glaze. This will help it not soak too much into the dough.
How to Prepare Your Sourdough Starter for This Recipe
I’m starting to add this section to my sourdough recipes to help anyone who’s having trouble baking with their starter. Most of the time it’s not you; it’s the starter’s strength!
Follow my simple instructions to get your starter ready to make this recipe or read my starter troubleshooting post.
- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED if your starter is not active and bubble: Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding it a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when you make this recipe.
- Example: Feed your ENTIRE sourdough starter jar 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
For the Sourdough King Cake Dough
- fed sourdough starter: make sure it’s bubbly and active before you start
- cold, salted, stick butter: not margarine and must be cold
- all-purpose flour: I like to use unbleached, organic but you can use any
- milk: I like to use whole milk
- sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome kind
- pure maple syrup: use pure, not the fake stuff
- baking powder: I like to use aluminum-free
- baking soda: any kind will work
For the Cinnamon Filling
- ground cinnamon: any type will work
- pure maple syrup: use pure, not the fake stuff
- melted butter: I like to use salted
Buttercream Glaze & Decorating Sugar
- powdered sugar: I like using powdered cane sugar, Florida Crystals brand
- melted butter: I like to use salted
- pure vanilla extract: pure extract works better than imitation
- milk: I like to use whole milk
- naturally colored yellow, purple, and green decorating sugar: I like using a natural dyed, cane sugar option.
The Sprinkles I Use That Don’t Have Artificial Dyes
I like to use PRSM Sugar Co decorating sugar from Natural Candy Store’s online shop. I looked all over the internet and our local grocery stores for naturally colored decorating sugar. There were so many labeled natural but had nasty ingredients. After some research, I found this brand and haven’t looked back! I love that they’re also made with cane sugar!
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.
How to Make Mini Sourdough King Cakes
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
Prepare Your Starter
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding it a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when you make this recipe.
Example: Feed 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grow in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
Make the Dough
Add sourdough starter, cold stick butter grated with a cheese grater, flour, water, salt, and maple syrup to a large bowl and mix until combined. **** WAIT to add in the baking powder and baking soda!
Dough will be shaggy, use your hands to finish combining into a dough ball. Then turn out onto the counter, no flour needed. (If dough is too wet, your starter is more hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra flour. If dough is too dry, your starter is less hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra water.)
Knead dough by hand for 2-3 minutes or with an electric mixer on low speed with a dough hook.
Cover dough with a lid loosely, a damp kitchen towel (that’s been wet then rung out), or plastic wrap.
Bulk Ferment
Let dough bulk ferment by sitting on the counter top at room temperature in a non-drafty place for 12 hours (see helpful information in notes below).
Prep for Baking
After bulk ferment, uncover dough and sprinkle baking soda and baking powder over dough.
Knead until baking soda and baking powder are incorporated (about 2 minutes).
Make Filling & Shape
Make the filling by combining melted butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a bowl until evenly combined and no clumps are left. Set aside.
Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out dough on counter into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle (approx 9”x11”)
With a butter knife or kitchen brush, evenly spread filling evenly over the entire rectangle. It will be a very layer.
Cut rectangle of dough into 4 long strips, from short end to short end.
One strip at a time, lay it over your hand so the ends are evenly hanging then twist the two ends of the strand together to make a rope. Connect the two ends to make a ring of dough. It’ll look braided.
Place on prepared pan and repeat with the rest. Make sure they’re is at least 2 inches apart on the pan so they have room to rise.
2nd Rise
Cover pan with a dry kitchen towel and let rise for 3-4 hours until puffy.
Bake & Frost
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit then bake for 15 minutes or until fully baked.
While cakes are baking, add powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
When cakes come out of the oven, place on a wire cooling rack to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Once cooled down, brush frosting over the tops with a kitchen brush. Cover king cakes 1/3 of the way with yellow decorating sugar, 1/3 of the way with purple decorating sugar, and the other 1/3 with green decorating sugar . Enjoy!
Troubleshooting Help
What to do if your dough isn’t doubling in size during the bulk ferment and/or 2nd rise:
Never leave the oven on, even on the keep warm setting, with fermenting dough inside. Your dough, for both rises, needs to double.
If your dough doesn’t look like it’s doing anything halfway through the rises, you need to place it in a slightly warmer area.
This can be in a turned-off oven with the light on and oven door open, or you can slightly warm the oven to about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and place your dough inside with the door shut.
What to do if your dough won’t double in size even in the warmer place (and your baked good is dense):
This will strengthen the cultures in your starter to give you fluffy baked bread and treats. After the 2 days, you can go back to feeding it like usual (once a week if stored in the fridge or once a day if stored on the counter). Be sure to use the 2:1 ratio feeding from here on out.
If your dough doesn’t double even in the warmer area, there is a problem with your starter. It is too weak to ferment the dough even in a warm environment.
To fix this, you will want to leave your starter out on the counter for 2 days and feed it every 12 hours at a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water.
For example, 1 cup unbleached flour + 1/2 cup filtered (or bottled) water.
Make sure you’re using unbleached flour and filtered or bottled water to do this. If you don’t, it will affect your starter strength. Reverse osmosis water (or any water that uses salt in the filter) can make the starter weak.
My Favorite Way to Serve Small King Cakes
The best way, in my opinion, is to serve these while they’re still warm, just after decorating them! They’ve got the best flavor and texture at this point!
What to Serve with Sourdough King Cakes
You can serve king cakes alongside coffee, tea, milk, or just water. If you’d like to make them more of a breakfast, you could whip up a batch of hash browns, eggs, or breakfast meat.
How to Store King Cake
Store them in an airtight, preferably glass, airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. The sooner you eat them, the better; they will dry out as the days go on.
Freezing and Thawing Instructions
You can freeze them both decorated or undecorated, but for ease, I recommend freezing undecorated. Wrap them in parchment paper and place in a freezer-safe container, preferably glass.
They’ll last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
My Favorite Way to Warm King Cake
When you’re ready to enjoy leftover king cakes, place them on a baking sheet pan and warm at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven. The glaze will begin to drip a little, so pull them out as soon as they’re warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! You’re more than welcome to do this.
I recommend it. I haven’t tried my recipe without sourdough.
Sure! They’re just for looks, so you don’t need to use them.
I like to use PRSM Sugar Co decorating sugar from Natural Candy Store’s online shop.
Yes! It’s a traditional New Orleans-style treat.
Sure! When you go to do the filling, just substitute the cinnamon mixture with sweetened cream cheese or raspberry filling.
More Sourdough Baked Treats To Try
If you’re looking for more sourdough dessert recipes, try a few of these:
- Sourdough Angel Food Cake (half-batch recipe)
- Sourdough Vanilla Half Sheet Cake
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Light and Fluffy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Small-Batch Sourdough Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Sourdough Honey Buns (Inspired By Little Debbie)
If you made this recipe, give it a 5-star rating below and share a photo on your social media stories! Be sure to tag @plumbranchhome
Recipe
Mini Sourdough King Cakes
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/4 cup fed sourdough starter
- 4 Tbsp cold, salted, stick butter (not margarine and must be cold)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk (I like to use whole milk)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Filling
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
Buttercream Glaze
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (I like using powdered cane sugar, Florida Crystals brand)
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 tsp milk (I like to use whole milk)
- Naturally colored yellow, purple, and green decorating sugar
Instructions
Prepare Your Starter
- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding it a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when you make this recipe.
- Example: Feed 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grow in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
Make the Dough
- Add sourdough starter, cold stick butter grated with a cheese grater, flour, water, salt, and maple syrup to a large bowl and mix until combined. **** WAIT to add in the baking powder and baking soda!
- Dough will be shaggy, use your hands to finish combining into a dough ball. Then turn out onto the counter, no flour needed. (If dough is too wet, your starter is more hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra flour. If dough is too dry, your starter is less hydrated than mine. Just add a few tablespoons of extra water.)
- Knead dough by hand for 2-3 minutes or with an electric mixer on low speed with a dough hook.
- Cover dough with a lid loosely, a damp kitchen towel (that’s been wet then rung out), or plastic wrap.
Bulk Ferment
- Let dough bulk ferment by sitting on the counter top at room temperature in a non-drafty place for 12 hours (see helpful information in notes below).
Prep for Baking
- After bulk ferment, uncover dough and sprinkle baking soda and baking powder over dough.
- Knead until baking soda and baking powder are incorporated (about 2 minutes).
Make Filling & Shape
- Make the filling by combining melted butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a bowl until evenly combined and no clumps are left. Set aside.
- Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out dough on counter into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle (approx 9”x11”)
- With a butter knife or kitchen brush, evenly spread filling evenly over the entire rectangle. It will be a very layer.
- Cut rectangle of dough into 4 long strips, from short end to short end.
- One strip at a time, lay it over your hand so the ends are evenly hanging then twist the two ends of the strand together to make a rope. Connect the two ends to make a ring of dough. It’ll look braided.
- Place on prepared pan and repeat with the rest. Make sure they’re is at least 2 inches apart on the pan so they have room to rise.
2nd Rise
- Cover pan with a dry kitchen towel and let rise for 3-4 hours until puffy.
Bake & Frost
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit then bake for 15 minutes or until fully baked.
- While cakes are baking, add powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- When cakes come out of the oven, place on a wire cooling rack to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Once cooled down, brush frosting over the tops with a kitchen brush. Cover king cakes 1/3 of the way with yellow decorating sugar, 1/3 of the way with purple decorating sugar, and the other 1/3 with green decorating sugar . Enjoy!
Notes
Troubleshooting Help for Bulk Fermenting & Rising…
1. What to do if your dough isn’t doubling in size during the bulk ferment and/or 2nd rise:- If your dough doesn’t look like it’s doing anything halfway through the rises, you need to place it in a slightly warmer area.
- This can be in a turned-off oven with the light on and oven door open, or you can slightly warm the oven to about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and place your dough inside with the door shut.
- Never leave the oven on, even on the keep warm setting, with fermenting dough inside. Your dough, for both rises, needs to double.
- If your dough doesn’t double even in the warmer area, there is a problem with your starter. It is too weak to ferment the dough even in a warm environment.
- To fix this, you will want to leave your starter out on the counter for 2 days and feed it every 12 hours at a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water.
- For example, 1 cup unbleached flour + 1/2 cup filtered (or bottled) water.
- Make sure you’re using unbleached flour and filtered or bottled water to do this. If you don’t, it will affect your starter strength. Reverse osmosis water (or any water that uses salt in the filter) can make the starter weak.
- This will strengthen the cultures in your starter to give you fluffy baked bread and treats. After the 2 days, you can go back to feeding it like usual (once a week if stored in the fridge or once a day if stored on the counter). Be sure to use the 2:1 ratio feeding from here on out.