Slim Fit King Cake

I wanted to make a Mardi Gras King Cake for my friends because we are expatriates in Malaysia with no bakeries that can make them, and some people we know have never even tried one! However, I wanted to make it lighter too, so I made some substitutions and created my own cake that appears and tastes decadent, but is actually quite light. Bakeries in Louisiana do standard cinnamon-sugar fillings, but they do all kinds of other fruit/pudding fillings, too, so I decided to go fruity. Laissez les bon temps rouler! Add some edible beads for further decoration if you can find them!

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 244 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup skim milk
• 3 packets granular no-calorie sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda®)
• ¼ cup finely chopped pineapple
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• ¼ cup reduced-fat margarine, softened
• ¼ cup sugar and sucralose blend for baking (such as SPLENDA® Sugar Blend)
• ¾ (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
• ⅛ teaspoon pineapple extract
• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat margarine, softened
• 2 ½ tablespoons skim milk
• ⅛ teaspoon green food coloring
• ⅛ teaspoon yellow food coloring
• ⅛ teaspoon purple food coloring

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

Heat 3/4 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring constantly.

Step 5

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in 1/4 cup margarine. Allow mixture to cool until lukewarm.

Step 6

Using the bread hook with an electric mixer, mix together the self-rising flour, yeast, and sugar and sucralose blend in a large mixing bowl.

Step 7

Stir the water, egg, and warm milk into the yeast mixture using the electric mixer; stir well to combine.

Step 8

Gradually stir in half of the whole wheat flour until no dry spots remain.

Step 9

Stir in the remaining flour, a 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Step 10

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Step 11

Cover dough with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 12

Mix the cream cheese, bananas, and pineapple together in a bowl.

Step 13

Stir in the pineapple extract and 3 packets of sweetener; mixture will be lumpy.

Step 14

Roll the dough out to about 9x12-inches.

Step 15

Spread the banana filling about 2-inches away from one of the longer edges.

Step 16

Roll the dough into a cylinder shape, beginning with the edge without filling.

Step 17

Pinch the seam to seal.

Step 18

Shape the dough into a ring by bringing the two open edges together; pinch to seal.

Step 19

Wipe any filling from the outside of the ring.

Step 20

Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for 30 minutes more.

Step 21

Transfer the dough ring to a greased and floured baking sheet.

Step 22

Mix 1 tablespoon margarine with confectioners' sugar in a small bowl.

Step 23

Stir in the remaining milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is easily drizzled.

Step 24

Drizzle about 1/4 of the icing over the cooled cake.

Step 25

Divide the remaining icing into 3 small bowls.

Step 26

Stir in the green food coloring into one bowl; stir the yellow food coloring into the next bowl; and stir the purple food coloring into the last bowl.

Step 27

Drizzle each of the colored icings over the cake.