Ready to add something special to your Mardi Gras table? This Sourdough King Cake Recipe is festive, flavorful, and brings a tender, buttery king cake dough to life with the bright, mellow notes of sourdough.
This cinnamon-style sourdough king cake uses a sweet, enriched dough similar to sourdough cinnamon roll dough and is filled with a gooey cinnamon-sugar filling. Tuck a small plastic baby, dried bean, or coin into the cake after baking for the traditional surprise, top with a simple glaze, and finish with yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar for an authentic Mardi Gras look.
Why You’ll Love This King Cake
- Festive and fun – A showstopping centerpiece for Mardi Gras that’s perfect for celebrations.
- Sweet cinnamon flavor – A classic cinnamon filling gives this cake rich, comforting flavor that pairs beautifully with the tender sourdough dough.
- 100% sourdough – This recipe uses a naturally fermented stiff, sweet levain instead of commercial yeast for flavor and texture.
- Braided ring – The braided circular shape creates beautiful swirls of filling and makes an impressive presentation.
Important Ingredients
- Stiff sweet levain – A mix of ripe starter, flour, sugar, and water that ferments until active; it tames sourness and adds lift.
- Bread flour – Use bread flour with a strong protein (around 12–12.5%) for good structure in this enriched dough.
- Cinnamon filling – Brown sugar, granulated sugar, a bit of flour, cinnamon, melted butter, and a pinch of salt form a crumbly filling that bakes soft and gooey.
- Glaze – Powdered sugar, milk, melted butter, and extracts make a glossy glaze; double it if you prefer extra icing.
- Sprinkles – Yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar for the traditional Mardi Gras colors.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities and details.
Substitutions
- Filling: You can swap the cinnamon filling for fruit or jam. Avoid cream cheese unless you can proof and bake the cake quickly (within about 2 hours) for food safety.
- Levain: A liquid, active starter can replace the stiff levain, but the timing window will be shorter and the dough may overproof more easily. You may need slightly more flour when kneading.
- Milk: Substitute 2% for whole milk if preferred.
- Glaze: Add almond extract or lemon juice for a flavor twist. If you prefer cream cheese icing, use a trusted cream cheese glaze recipe instead.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
A sample schedule helps when working with naturally fermented dough. Sourdough rises much more slowly than commercial yeast, so plan ahead.
Note: This timeline assumes a dough temperature around 78–80°F. Cooler dough will slow the process; warmer dough will speed it up.
| Day 1 | Mix Levain / Knead Dough / Bulk Fermentation |
| 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM | Make the stiff sweet levain and let it rise 10–12 hours. |
| 7:00 – 7:15 PM | Mix and knead the dough. |
| 7:15 PM | Begin bulk fermentation. |
| Day 2 | Shape / Proof / Bake |
| 7:00 or 8:00 AM | End bulk fermentation. |
| 8:00 AM | Shape the king cake. |
| 8:15 AM – 10:15 or 11:00 AM | Proof at 78–80°F. |
| 11:00 AM | Bake the king cake. |
If you’re new to sourdough, consider learning how to build and use a starter. Naturally fermented dough requires more time but yields deeper flavor and fermentation benefits.
How to Make Sourdough King Cake
Mix the Levain
This recipe relies on a stiff, sweet levain mixed the night before. The levain reduces sour tang and supports a light, tender crumb—ideal for a cinnamon-filled king cake. If you substitute a liquid, active starter, expect a shorter working window and possibly a need for more flour during kneading.
Step 1: Mix the levain. Combine ripe starter, flour, sugar, and water into a cohesive, stiff levain. Cover and let rise 10–12 hours at room temperature until doubled and active.
Knead the Dough
Step 2: Mix & knead the dough. Use 125 g of the ripe levain with warmed milk, water, sugar, melted butter, an egg, vanilla, and salt. While kneading, add bread flour gradually until the dough becomes tacky and smooth, then knead about 10 minutes until elastic. You can also knead by hand for 10–15 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation / First Rise
Step 3: Bulk fermentation. Place the dough in a covered container and keep it warm (around 78°F) for roughly 12 hours until it doubles in size.
Shape the King Cake
Step 4: Shape the king cake. Turn the risen dough onto a work surface and roll into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise to make two 6 x 18-inch strips. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over each strip, then roll each strip into a tight rope. Twist the two ropes together into a braid, join the ends to form a circle, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Optionally place an oven-safe ramekin in the center to help the ring keep its opening.
Proof or Second Rise
Step 5: Proof the dough. Cover and proof in a warm spot (78–80°F) for a couple of hours until puffed and noticeably risen.
Bake and Frost the King Cake
Step 6: Bake & decorate. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the king cake for about 40–45 minutes until cooked through (the internal temperature should read around 190°F). Cool slightly, remove the ramekin if used, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugar. If you want the traditional surprise, tuck a small plastic baby or coin into a fold after baking and before glazing.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover slices in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, reheating briefly before serving. For longer storage, freeze slices in an airtight container for up to a couple of months.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
Hiding a baby figure is traditional and fun. For safety, add plastic babies after baking by lifting a small piece of the swirl and tucking the figure in, then glaze over. Alternatively, hide a small piece of candy in mini cakes for a single lucky finder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because sourdough proofing can take longer, cream cheese fillings raise food-safety concerns if left at room temperature too long. For safety, avoid cream cheese unless you can shape, proof, and bake within about two hours. Fruit or jam fillings are safer and delicious alternatives.
King cake is a ring-shaped pastry associated with New Orleans and Carnival season. An enriched dough is filled (commonly with cinnamon, cream cheese, or fruit), iced, and decorated in Mardi Gras colors—purple, green, and gold—often with a small trinket hidden inside for one lucky finder.
The ring shape can symbolize unity or a crown, while the traditional colors represent Gold (power), Purple (justice), and Green (faith).
King cake season typically runs from January 6 (Epiphany) through Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday, marking the lead-up to Lent.
If you try this Sourdough King Cake, please leave a star rating and share how it turned out in the comments. Happy baking!
Sourdough King Cake
Rate Recipe
Print Recipe
Equipment
-
stand mixer (or knead by hand)
-
baking sheet
-
parchment paper
-
pizza cutter (optional)
Ingredients
Stiff Sweet Levain
- 15 g ripe, active starter
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 75 g all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup, heaping)
- 38 g water (about 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp)
Sourdough King Cake
- 125 g stiff sweet levain (about 1/2 cup)
- 180 g whole milk (about 3/4 cup)
- 120 g warmed water (about 1/2 cup)
- 75 g granulated sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted (about 5 Tbsp)
- 1 large egg (about 50 g)
- 6 g vanilla extract (about 1 1/2 tsp)
- 10 g salt (about 1 1/2 tsp)
- 650 g bread flour (about 4.5–5 cups)
Cinnamon Filling
- 110 g brown sugar (about 1/2 cup)
- 50 g granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup)
- 50 g all-purpose flour (scant 1/3 cup)
- 3 g ground cinnamon (about 2 tsp)
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted (about 3 Tbsp)
- pinch of salt
Glaze & Topping
- 150 g powdered sugar (about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 30 g whole milk (about 2 Tbsp)
- 15 g unsalted butter, melted (about 1 Tbsp)
- 4 g vanilla extract (about 1 tsp)
- optional: 4 g almond extract or lemon juice (about 1 tsp)
- pinch of salt
- yellow, green, and purple sanding sugar
Instructions
Stiff Sweet Levain (ripe in 10–12 hours)
- Mix ripe starter, flour, sugar, and water. Knead until a cohesive ball forms. Cover and let ferment 10–12 hours until doubled and rounded on top.
Sourdough King Cake
- Knead the dough: In a mixer bowl, combine 125 g levain, milk, water, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Mix and gradually add flour while kneading until the dough is tacky and smooth, pulling away from the bowl. Knead about 10 minutes (or 10–15 minutes by hand).
- Bulk fermentation: Transfer the dough to a covered container and ferment in a warm place (~78°F) for about 12 hours until doubled.
- Mix filling: Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, melted butter, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until crumbly.
- Shape & fill: Roll the risen dough to a 12 x 18-inch rectangle, cut into two 6 x 18-inch strips, sprinkle filling evenly, roll each strip into a rope, twist together, and form a ring on a parchment-lined sheet. Optionally place a ramekin in the center to keep the hole open.
- Proof: Cover and proof in a warm spot (78–80°F) for a couple of hours until puffed.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake 40–45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches about 190°F. Cool before removing any center ramekin.
- Topping: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, melted butter, extracts, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the cooled cake and immediately sprinkle with Mardi Gras colors. Optionally hide a small plastic baby or coin in a fold after baking and before icing.
Notes
Filling: Fruit or jam fillings are great alternatives to cinnamon. Avoid cream cheese unless you can bake quickly for food safety.
Stiff levain: If substituting liquid starter, expect a shorter proofing window and possibly a need for additional flour while kneading.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.