King Cake French Toast Bake (Printable)

A rich custard-soaked brioche bake with cinnamon layers, festive icing, and sprinkles for a celebratory brunch.

# What You'll 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 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Filling

11 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

→ 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 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars or sprinkles for decoration

# Method:

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 creamy.
03 - Arrange half the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Dollop cream cheese mixture evenly over bread. 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 well combined.
05 - Pour custard evenly over bread mixture, pressing down gently to ensure thorough soaking. 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, combine melted butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture evenly over the casserole.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until puffed and golden brown on top.
09 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before adding icing.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Drizzle icing over warm bake. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in festive stripes.
11 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with fresh berries or whipped cream.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • You prep it the night before, so morning just means sliding it into the oven while coffee brews.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like a short-order cook, which is honestly the dream.
  • The colorful icing and sprinkles turn breakfast into an actual celebration, and everyone gets a little kid energy about it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight soak—rushing this and only soaking for a few hours leaves you with dry patches and wasted potential. The time in the fridge is when the bread fully absorbs the custard and transforms into something special.
  • The icing should go on while the casserole is still warm, not hot—if it's too hot, the icing will melt into nothing, but if it's cool, the icing won't drizzle properly and the sprinkles won't stick.
03 -
  • Use cinnamon swirl bread instead of plain brioche if your bakery carries it, and you'll get those flavor bursts throughout without having to toast or anything.
  • If your cream cheese is cold when you try to spread it, the bread cubes will tear or move around—let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes first and save yourself the frustration.
Return