Easy Mardi Gras King Cake made with Crescent Rolls

I look forward to Mardi Gras every year, mainly because of the King Cakes…they are my favorite! The King Cake is a traditional dessert eaten during the Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) season. Often the cakes come with a baby hidden inside. According to tradition, whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby has to provide the next cake – which will be no problem with this delicious fast cooking cake…so fun to make even the kids will want to join in. King cakes feature the Mardi Gras colors, purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power – but this cake is too good to save just for the Mardi Gras season! Use pastel icing for Easter, or red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July!

 

King Cake with Cream Cheese Cinnamon Filling from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites

Makes 16 servings

2 (8-ounce) cans reduced-fat crescent rolls

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Coat 10-inch round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Separate crescent rolls at perforations, into 16 slices. Place slices around prepared pan with points in center. About halfway down from points, press seams together.

3. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Spread on dough in center where seams have been pressed together.

4. In another small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese. Fold dough points over filling, then fold bottom of triangle over points forming a circular roll like a king cake.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly, drizzle with colored Mardi Gras Icing.

Mardi Gras Icing:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1-2 tablespoons skim milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yellow, green, red, and blue food coloring

1. In small bowl, combine all ingredients, except food color. Divide mixture into three bowls.

2. In first bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring. In second bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring. In third bowl, add equal amounts of drops of red and blue food coloring (to create purple).

3. Drizzle over baked cake.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 184 Calories from fat 36% Fat 7 g Saturated Fat 3 g Cholesterol 9 mg Sodium 275 mg Carbohydrate 26 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Sugars 16 g Protein 3 g Diabetic Exchanges 11/2 carbohydrate 11/2 fat