Cinnamon-Banana King Cake

Ingredients

• 1 envelope (¾ oz.) rapid rise yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 1 ½ cups refrigerated unsweetened coconut milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons natural buttery spread with olive oil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 ripe DOLE^® Bananas, peeled and mashed
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon green sanding sugar
• 1 tablespoon purple sanding sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow sanding sugar

Directions

1. Whisk yeast and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Heat 1¼ cups milk and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until steamy. With mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add milk mixture to yeast mixture until incorporated. Add eggs, 1 at a time, adding the next egg once fully incorporated. Add buttery spread in 3 additions, adding the next addition once fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium; knead dough 3 minutes or until it pulls away from sides of bowl and climbs up the dough hook.
2. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Knead dough on a floured work surface 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic; form into a ball and place in prepared bowl. Lightly spray top of dough with nonstick cooking spray; cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Whisk bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl; stir in pecans.
4. Roll dough into a 12 x 20-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface; spread banana mixture over dough. Starting from long end, roll up dough to form a log; form log into a ring on prepared pan, pressing edges together to seal. Loosely cover dough with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake 30 minutes or until golden brown; cool 10 minutes on pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Whisk powdered sugar and remaining ¼ cup milk in a small bowl; drizzle over top of cooled cake, then alternately sprinkle with green, purple and yellow sanding sugars. Cut cake into 20 pieces.

Tips & tricks

After baking, insert a small plastic baby into cake for a traditional touch.