King Cake Bread Pudding

King Cake Bread Pudding

Last year for Fat Tuesday, Sarah and I both made King Cakes; she made a traditional, beautiful homemade version, and I made one that was a little less work.  This year we both wanted to make them again, but with a twist.  Sarah, who is a much more proficient baker than I, decided to go with some beautiful King Cake Cinnamon Rolls.  I took the easy route again and made King Cake Bread Pudding.  Instead of making any kind of homemade bread, I picked up a couple of cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls and a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread.  The results were actually delicious, even if it wasn’t the prettiest thing I have ever made.

How It’s Done

I love bread pudding.  It is so easy and it makes people happy.  Ideally, you could use actual leftover King Cake if you are lucky enough to have them around you.  When you live in California, you have to improvise.  I baked two cans of cinnamon rolls and tore up half a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread.

I did two kinds of bread because I like the contrasting textures.  Feel free to use all cinnamon rolls or King Cake if that is easier for you.

If you have the time, let the bread get stale overnight.  If you are impatient like me, place the bread in the oven at 200 degrees until it is toasty and “stale.”

After that, simply mix up your pudding and let your bread soak. The goal is not to have liquid left in your bowl – you want the bread to absorb it all.  This is why you need big chunks of bread; no small pieces!  If you find that you have extra liquid, throw some more bread in there.

Let the bread sit for an hour, and then pour into a greased baking dish.  I used a 9″ pie plate, but any comparably sized dish will work. Bake at 350 for around 50 minutes or until the your bread pudding is brown on top.

Mix the reserved icing from the refrigerated cinnamon rolls with 1 tablespoon of milk to thin it a bit.  Spread over the top of your bread pudding.

Now you just need to decorate with your Mardi Gras sprinkles!  This is not the prettiest dish I have ever made, but it is delicious and festive.

The Verdict

This dessert was easy and delicious, and I will definitely be making it again!  It was great to mix two of my favorite desserts together to make something that celebratory and fun.  The best part, anyone can do it.

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!

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King Cake Bread Pudding

This is an easy, semi-homemade take on the traditional Mardi Gras dessert.  Make this with leftover cinnamon rolls and store bought cinnamon raisin bread.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Author Jessica Patch

Ingredients

• 2 Cans Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls
• 1/2 Loaf Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• 5 Large Eggs
• 3 Cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Nutmeg
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• Purple, Green & Yellow Sprinkles

Instructions

1. Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions.

2. Tear cooked cinnamon rolls and cinnamon raisin bread into large pieces and set out to harden, preferably overnight.

3. When bread is ready, whisk together remaining ingredients except for the milk and sprinkles.

4. Soak stale bread in the egg and cream mixture for one hour.  Make sure the bread soaks up the majority of the liquid.

5. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 9" pie plate or similar sized baking dish.

6. Place soaked bread into prepared dish and bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until bread is cooked through and brown on top.

7. In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon roll icing and milk.

8. When the bread pudding is baked through, spread icing over the top of bread pudding.

9. Decorate as desired with sprinkles.