King Cake Lemon Cream Cheese (Printable Version)

Festive golden-braided sweet bread filled with tangy lemon cream cheese, topped with vibrant colored sugar.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 1/2 cup warm water
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

09 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
13 - 1 egg yolk

→ Egg Wash

14 - 1 egg
15 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Glaze and Decoration

16 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice or milk
18 - Purple, green, and gold colored sanding sugar

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm water, milk, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add sugar, eggs, melted butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix well until combined.
03 - Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
05 - Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk; blend until creamy. Set aside.
06 - Punch down risen dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 10 by 18-inch rectangle.
07 - Spread the lemon cream cheese filling lengthwise down the center third of the dough rectangle.
08 - Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal strips approximately 1 inch wide along both sides of the filling, leaving the ends intact.
09 - Fold the strips over the filling, alternating sides to create a braid pattern. Tuck the ends under to seal.
10 - Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
11 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
12 - Brush the braid with egg wash. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
13 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice or milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled braid.
14 - Immediately sprinkle with colored sanding sugars in alternating purple, green, and gold stripes.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The braiding technique looks intimidating but becomes almost meditative once you find the rhythm.
  • That first bite of tangy lemon against the soft, buttery dough is genuinely worth all the rising time.
  • It transforms your kitchen into something that smells like celebration, even on an ordinary Tuesday.
02 -
  • The egg yolk in the filling is not optional—it prevents the filling from being too loose and leaking out during baking, something I discovered after an unfortunate first attempt.
  • Decorating while the glaze is still wet is crucial; if you wait even a few minutes, the sugars won't adhere and you'll end up with bare patches.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and create better texture—pull your eggs and cream cheese out about an hour before you start.
  • The second rise is shorter than the first because your dough is already developed; don't let it double in size completely or it might overproof and collapse in the oven.
Go Back