King Cake French Toast Bake (Printable version)

A festive brioche and custard bake with cinnamon, creamy filling, and colorful topping for special breakfasts.

# What you need:

→ Bread and Custard

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 16 oz)
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

# Steps to follow:

01 - Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick 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 evenly in the prepared baking dish. Distribute cream cheese mixture over bread layer, then top with remaining bread cubes.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly combined.
05 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread layers, 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 casserole from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature while oven reaches target temperature.
07 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture evenly over the casserole.
08 - Place uncovered casserole in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until puffed and golden brown on top.
09 - Remove from oven and allow casserole to cool for 10 minutes.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Drizzle icing over warm casserole and immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in festive patterns.
11 - Portion into servings and serve warm.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • You do almost all the work the night before, so morning stress melts away like butter on warm bread.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like you're slaving over the stove while everyone waits hungry.
  • The festive icing makes ordinary people sit up and actually notice breakfast, which feels like small magic.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight soak—it's not just convenient, it's essential to transforming regular bread into something with the texture of bread pudding.
  • If your bread is very fresh and dense, it needs even more time in the custard to really absorb, so consider soaking it for 12 hours if possible.
  • The icing must go on while the casserole is still warm or the sugars won't stick and you'll lose half your decoration.
03 -
  • If you're using cinnamon swirl bread, you're already halfway to extra flavor—the custard will pick up those ribbons and make everything taste richer.
  • Don't let the casserole sit at room temperature longer than an hour before baking, or the bread starts to break down in a way that's less custard-soaked and more mushy.
  • The icing is forgiving—if you make it too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time; if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until it coats a spoon slightly.
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