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Easy Bubble Up King Cake Recipe

Easy Bubble Up King Cake Recipe

Refrigerated cinnamon rolls bubble up into a soft, pull-apart Mardi Gras cake with buttery brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, icing, and colorful decorating sugar.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

King Cake
  • 2 cans, approximately 12.4 ounces each Refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing included
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Finely chopped pecans
Glaze
  • 1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar, optional
  • 1-2 tablespoons Milk or cream, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract, optional
Decoration
  • 1 tablespoon Purple decorating sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Green decorating sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Gold or yellow decorating sugar
  • 1 small piece Small plastic king-cake baby, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan, including the center tube and every crease.
  2. Separate the cinnamon rolls and cut each roll into quarters.
  3. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then mix in the chopped pecans.
  4. Toss the dough pieces with the butter mixture, or layer the dough and butter mixture in the prepared Bundt pan without packing the pieces tightly.
  5. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the rolls are puffed, golden brown, and cooked through in the center.
  6. Cool the cake in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate.
  7. Drizzle with the included icing or an optional extra glaze, sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugar while wet, and add the plastic baby only after baking.

Notes

Grease the Bundt pan very thoroughly because brown-sugar syrup can stick around the center tube. Do not bake a plastic baby inside the cake. For best texture, cool briefly before unmolding and serve once decorated.