Fluffy Gluten Free + Low Carb Mardi Gras King Cake!

I have been wanting to post a king cake recipe for YEARS!! Every year I think of it, just as the holiday passes and I kick myself for forgetting yet again. This year I actually remembered and I have been working my tush off trying to figure this one out. It wasn’t the easiest project I have taken on, but it was WELL worth the effort!! And I think you’ll agree!

While I’m an Ohio girl and have never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, I have many friends from the South who have told me it typically costs $60-$100 (or more!) to buy a gluten free King Cake! And then finding a low carb King Cake on top of that is almost impossible. So, I wanted to save you some money and make your King Cake dreams come true!

The most important thing I discovered on this recipe testing journey was that I absolutely needed to use an angel food cake pan. Gluten free, grain free, and paleo breads often lack the structure to rise UP, verses spread wide (that’s because the gluten is not there to make this happen). I tested a free form King Cake and it turned into a giant bready pancake. It tasted great, but obviously wasn't what I was wanting. Using the correct pan made it all come together perfectly and my King Cake dreams FINALLY came true.

I chose to make a cream cheese glaze to limit how much sugar free sweetener I needed to use. In general frostings contain a lot of sugar and with keto sweeteners an excessive amount of sugar leads to an icy aftertaste (which I HATE). I avoided that completely with this cake and its frosting. Cream cheese is the main ingredient in the frosting, so therefore I only needed to add a little sweetener and it turned out perfectly. If you prefer a more traditional glaze with powdered keto sugar and milk or water that’s ok too. Feel free to do whatever your heart desires!

I decided to color my cream cheese glaze to get the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and a yellow/orange for a little extra festivity. I have yet to come across keto friendly sprinkles, so that was my creative solution. Food coloring is, of course, not required, but if you wish to keep things natural I ADORE Suncore Foods Superfruit Powders. Most add beautiful color without much flavor. They could work great for this recipe. Emerald Pandan or Matcha Green Tea could work for the green, Wolfberry for the purple and the Orange Carrot would work for the orange/yellow. If you ever need to brighten a natural color a little you can mix in the tiniest amount of turmeric. Just make sure you don’t over do it or you’ll end up with a turmeric flavored frosting (and that’s gross!)! Note that if you use the superfruit powders you may need to add a little bit more water to the glaze as they can sometimes thicken the frosting or glaze quite a bit. .

Before getting started- I just need to let you know that I can’t provide substitutions for this recipe. You know that I LOVE when I am able to tell you what swaps you can easily make for my recipes, but to be honest, this recipe needs to be made as is. It took me a LONG time, and a lot of ingredients in the trash (sad face), to figure out THIS particular version that works perfect. So that is what I am sharing with you today. As always, feel free to experiment. I have had others successfully use dairy free shredded mozzarella in some of my other low carb breads, so it might just work. But, experiment at your risk. :)

One final note! When you run your carbs (if you want to do that) keep in mind that the real honey or maple syrup do not need to be counted! The sugar is eaten by the yeast and therefore does not exist once the King Cake is baked! A little real sugar is a must to activate the yeast and cannot be omitted.

Alright! Let’s do this! Time to make a glorious, fluffy, cinnamon and sugar stuffed low carb king cake! Enjoy!

*For good results PLEASE use gram measurements!! I have created an Instagram story and it’s saved under my highlights here. Feel free to come watch that to see the step by step process on how to make this King Cake!

Fluffy Gluten Free + Low Carb Mardi Gras King Cake

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Yield: 16-18 slices

Author: Brittany Angell

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 45 MinTotal time: 2 H & 5 M

This is a glorious, fluffy, cinnamon and sugar stuffed low carb king cake! It required a tremendous amount of effort and trial and error. No regrets as this cake I magical and I know you will absolutely love it.

Ingredients

Cake Dough

• 1/2 Cup (104 grams) heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk)
• 2 tbsp real honey or maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp fast-acting yeast (instant yeast)
• 4 cups (450 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
• 1 cup (120 g) garbanzo bean flour
• 1/2 cup (58 g) blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup (40 g) oat fiber
• 1 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
• 1 Tbsp double-acting baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Mild-flavored oil (like avocado oil or refined coconut oil)
• 2-3 tbsp water to brush on top of king cake before proofing

Dough Filling

• 5 Tbsp Melted Butter Or Melted Butter Flavored Coconut Oil
• 1 1/2 Cups Keto Brown Sugar (Sukrin Gold or Brown Sugar Swerve)
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon (or more to taste)

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 ounces Cream Cheese (dairy or non-dairy)
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 Tsp Liquid Stevia
• 3 Tbsp Powdered Erythritol to Powdered Swerve
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tsp Water
• Optional food colors (to be added in after glaze has been divided)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). When it is preheated, turn the oven off and keep the door shut (it will be used as a hot box to quickly proof the cake).
2. Measure the inside circumference of your angel food cake pan in the center (halfway between the top and bottom). For example, my pan’s circumference was 24 inches so therefore my cinnamon roll log needed to be exactly 24 inches long in order to fill the pan properly.
3. Cut a piece of parchment paper that is 2 inches longer than your circumference. (i.e. I cut mine 26 inches wide) and set aside. Spray the angel food cake pan with oil and set aside.
4. To make the dough, whisk together the cream and honey in a small microwave-safe cup or bowl. Place in the microwave for 5 seconds intervals and heat until lukewarm. If it’s hotter than that be sure to let it cool or you will kill your yeast when you add it and then it won’t work. When it’s the right temperature, add the yeast to the cream/honey mixture and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate. It should start bubbling and showing life.
5. Place the mozzarella cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. The cheese won’t be fully melted. Add the partially melted cheese to the bowl of a food processor and then add the eggs and psyllium husk powder. Process until the cheese has broken down fully.
6. Add the yeast/cream mixture, the garbanzo bean flour, almond flour, oat fiber, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Process until a thick and sticky dough forms. Tip: Weighing all the dry ingredients and having them ready to go in one bowl makes this easier!
7. Place the cut sheet of parchment paper on the counter and oil it heavily. Using a spatula, scrape all of the dough out of the food processor and onto the oiled parchment. Oil your hands and press/roll out the dough until it is 24 inches wide and 12 inches tall (a large rectangle!) A rolling pin may stick so oiled hands work best. Your dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Spread the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon over the surface of the dough. Using the parchment as your guide gently and tightly roll up the dough. Finish the roll with the seam side down.
9. Very carefully transfer the rolled dough into the prepared angel food cake pan so that it forms a large donut. If you need to, the parchment can be used to gently transport it into the pan. This dough is fragile so go slow and be careful!
10. Once the dough is in the pan, use oiled hands and smooth the end pieces of the dough together so that it looks like a perfect donut. Then use your hands to smooth out the surface to try to make it semi even on top. Brush on the last few tablespoons of water to help further smooth out the top surface. Then, slam the pan on your countertop a few times to help even it out a bit more.
11. Cover the pan with a towel and place it in the warm (but turned off) oven for 45 minutes to allow the dough to rise. It should double or triple in size.
12. While the cake is proofing, make the glaze. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer combine all of the glaze ingredients and mix on high until a light glaze forms perfect for drizzling. If you want to add color, divide the glaze into 3 small bowls and add food coloring (or Suncore Superfruit Powders for natural color - see my notes in the blog post above about what colors I’d suggest).
13. After the 45 minutes of proof time is up, remove the dough from the oven and turn the oven on to 350°F (175°C). Preheat fully.
14. Remove the towel from the pan and place the pan in the hot oven. Bake for 32-35 minutes. Halfway through the baking time add a sheet of foil to cover the top to prevent over browning Remove from oven once finished baking and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
15. Using a knife gently loosen the cake from the pan and place on serving plate. Drizzle with the glaze (if using multiple colors, alternate them).
16. Serve warm. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

You will need a standard angel food cake pan for this recipe.

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