Mardi Gras King Cake with Cream Cheese and Apple Fillings Recipe - Los Angeles Times

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 beaten egg (save the other half to make the egg wash for the cake)
• 2 ounces (1/4 of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 cup milk, divided
• 1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 2 eggs, plus 1/2 beaten egg (use the remaining half egg leftover from the cream cheese filling), divided
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups (15.75 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Apple filling
• Cream cheese filling
• Cream cheese glaze
• Purple, green and yellow colored sugars for decorating
• Plastic baby, if desired