King Cake

This is different & better than the one I made last year - still too big, but I froze some. The glaze that went with this never hardened so I left it out - you could just sprinkle some colored sugar on the glaze. The taste and texture were really good - just for an everyday coffee cake  not just for Mardi Gras!
 From : Food 52

For the dough:

• 1 1/2teaspoons (5 grams) active dry yeast
• 1/2cup (100 grams) sugar plus 1/4 teaspoon, divided
• 1/2cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1/2cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1cup whole milk
• 2egg yolks (save the whites for egg wash)
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon salt

1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar with 1/4 cup of warm (100° to 110° F) water.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cream cheese (the cream cheese won't fully melt, but that's okay). Remove from heat and add milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and yeast mixture.
3. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add wet ingredients all at once and mix for 5 minutes, until it forms a smooth, elastic ball.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

For the filling, glaze, and assembly:

• For the filling:
• 7ounces almond paste (1 tube)
• 1/4cup (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
• 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2cup (57 grams) confectioners' sugar
• 2teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1egg
• For the glaze:
• 1/2cup 4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4cup (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
• 1/4cup milk
• 1cup (114 grams) confectioners' sugar
• Purple, green, and gold colored sugars
• Plastic baby

1. While the dough rises, make the filling: Combine almond paste, butter, flour, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and egg and mix until smoothly combined.
2. Once dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll one piece of dough to into a rectangle about 18t to 20 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide.
3. Spread with half of the filling mixture and roll (cinnamon roll style) starting from the long end of the dough.
4. Repeat with the second piece of dough and the rest of the filling. You'll have two rolled ropes of dough. Press and roll each dough out another 2-inches or so to even the thickness of the strands and close the seams.
5. Line the ropes of dough up and, starting from the center, make a basic twist. Then bring the beginning and end of the twist together to seal into a circle.
6. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the circular cake on top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
7. Brush cake lightly with egg wash made from beating the two remaining egg whites .Then bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cake is golden brown (and the internal temperature is 190° F).