Keyword: cheese danish, king cake, mardi gras, mardi gras king cake, pecan, pecan praline, praline, puff pastry
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Total Time: 35 minutesminutes
Calories:
Author: Amber
This King Cake Pecan Praline Puff Pastry is a show stopper! Glittery and gorgeous in traditional colors of purple, gold, and green, this puff pastry replicates the look and flavors of a traditional Mardi Gras King Cake, but is ready to eat in 35 minutes or less!
Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper. Add pecans to the baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until their aromas release (aka you can smell them cooking). Keep a very close eye on them so they DO NOT BURN. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Once cooled, chop pecans then add to a large bowl with brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt. Squish or stir together until well mixed and crumbly. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth.
Unfold puff pastry sheet over a workspace lined w/ parchment paper. Roll in one direction until it’s roughly 12ish”x17”ish in shape.
Spread the cream cheese filling down the middle of the puff pastry, leaving ¾” from the top and bottom. Crumble the pecan praline mixture over the cream cheese filling.
Starting ½” from the filling, cut 8 diagonal 1” strips equal in size along each side of the puff pastry. Fold down the top of the dough and pinch down the corners to seal. Fold in the side strips and form a braid by alternating between left and right. Fold up the bottom flap and pinch the sides to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet. NOTE: Hide the baby or token in the cake before braiding.
In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the top of the puff pastry and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature so the glaze won’t melt off and soak into the puff pastry.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the pecan praline puff pastry then sprinkle w/ purple, yellow, and green sanding sugars to garnish.