King Cake French Toast Bake (Printable Version)

Cinnamon swirl brioche soaked in custard, baked golden, topped with colorful icing and sprinkles.

# What You Need:

→ Bread and Custard

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah (about 16 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
09 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Filling

11 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - ⅓ cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

→ Topping

14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Icing and Decoration

17 - 1 cup powdered sugar
18 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
19 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
20 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars or sprinkles

# How To Make:

01 - Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and well combined.
03 - Arrange half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Dollop cream cheese mixture evenly over bread layer. Top with remaining bread cubes.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly combined.
05 - Pour custard evenly over bread mixture, pressing down gently to ensure absorption. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
06 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove baking dish from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature while oven reaches temperature.
07 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Drizzle mixture evenly over the casserole.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is puffed and golden brown.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before decorating.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency. Drizzle icing over warm bake. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars in festive patterns.
11 - Serve casserole warm, optionally accompanied by fresh berries or whipped cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You do all the work the night before, so morning chaos disappears and breakfast practically makes itself.
  • It tastes like a party decided to happen on your breakfast table, with those carnival colors actually mattering.
  • One dish feeds a crowd without feeling like you cooked all day.
02 -
  • The overnight soak is not optional—it's the difference between cubes of bread in custard and true French toast casserole that's custardy and soft all the way through.
  • Don't skip the gentle pressing when you pour the custard; you need enough coverage for everything to soak, but you don't want to compress it into a dense brick.
03 -
  • Use day-old brioche if you can find it, or let your fresh bread sit uncovered for a few hours—it absorbs custard better than soft fresh bread.
  • The icing tastes best when it's still warm from the casserole, so don't make it too early or it'll set up too firm to drizzle prettily.
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