My youngest looked puzzled when I first asked her to go and get a small toy for me so that I could put it in my cake.

“You’re going to put a toy in our cake?” she asked.

“That’s part of making a King cake,” I explained. “Whoever gets the piece of cake with the toy in it is supposed to have good luck for the year.”

She smiled at the idea and disappeared into the basement. A few minutes later she came up with s palm-sized monkey. “Too big,” I told her. Next was a quarter-sized cat. Still too big. Finally, she found the perfect addition to our King cake—a bright red dinosaur that no one will miss when they slice into his hiding spot.

The origin of the King cake—and a surprise hidden within it—are part of a tradition which celebrates the birth of Christ. The King’s cake is a remembrance of the Three Wise Men, or kings, who came to give the baby Jesus gifts. Traditionally, the object tucked inside of the cake was a representation of baby Jesus.

King cakes are now a staple in Mardi Gras festivities—this year taking place on March 4th. This recipe for a King cake comes from King Arthur Flour. I made some tweaks—while many recipes call for a cream cheese filling I wanted to add a burst of chocolate. I used Nutella thinned with a little milk to create a chocolately center.

What you can’t change with the King cake, however, is the addition of the three Mardi Gras colors—green, purple, and yellow. Instead of buying containers of each colored sprinkles, my suggestion is to see if you can find them in bulk and then just buy what you need.

My kids are still working their way piece by piece through our King cake. So far no one’s uncovered the red dinosaur. But I’m sure our luck will change—of course my kids don’t mind eating an extra slice in their search!

Mardi Gras Chocolate Swirl King Cake Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

¾ cup lukewarm milk

2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (save the white!)

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup nonfat dried milk powder

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 ½ teaspoons yeast

¼ grated lemon rind (opt.)

Filling

1 cup Nutella

1 tablespoon milk

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Topping

Purple, green, and yellow sprinkles

Pan suggestions

10” springform pan and small 3” bowl to mold the bread’s center

Directions

1.     To make the dough: In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the lukewarm milk and let stand until frothy. In a standing mixer or a large food processor, mix together the dough ingredients and the yeast mixture. Process or mix until the dough becomes smooth—it will be sticky! Put plenty of flour on your hands to take the dough out of the food processor and knead gently.

2.     Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel that’s been slightly dampened. Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for an hour and a half.

3.     Now’s the time to prep the pan that you’ll be using for the second rise: I greased a 10” springform pan and then used a 3” biscuit cutter to create the center. Of course, if you have a ring mold you can use that instead.

4.     It’s time to roll! Grease a cutting board and your rolling pin. Stretch and roll the dough out to a 24” x 6” rectangle.

5.     Slightly warm the Nutella with the milk in the microwave.

6.     Spread the Nutella onto the dough using a kitchen knife. Start on one long end and work toward the other end stopping about an inch before the end.

7.     Roll the dough starting with the long end where you first placed the Nutella and toward the other side. (Similar to how you fill and prepare cinnamon roll dough.)

8.     Place the dough with the seam side down into the circular pan. Tuck the small, plastic toy in the bottom of the dough.

9.     Let the dough rise again for an hour.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. Before you put the cake into the oven, brush with egg white that’s been thinned with a little water.

12. Cover the cake with aluminum foil.

13. Bake the cake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 20 additional minutes or until golden brown.

14. Cool the cake at least 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

15. To prepare the icing: Whisk together the icing ingredients until thick. Drizzle over the cake. Allow to set slightly before adding the sprinkles.

16. Coat the cake with bands of purple, green, and yellow sprinkles.