King Cake French Toast Bake (Print Version)

A festive brioche and custard bake with cinnamon, colorful icing, and sprinkles for a bright breakfast.

# Components:

→ Bread and Custard

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

# Directions:

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 mixture evenly over the bread layers, pressing down gently to ensure thorough soaking. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight for at least 8 hours.
06 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove baking dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while oven reaches temperature.
07 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture evenly over the casserole.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the casserole is puffed and golden brown on top.
09 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency. Drizzle icing over the warm casserole and immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in festive stripes.
11 - Serve the casserole warm, optionally accompanied by fresh berries or whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You prep it the night before, which means zero morning stress and a kitchen that smells like cinnamon and custard when you wake up.
  • The cream cheese layer adds surprise pockets of richness that make people ask for the recipe before they finish their first bite.
  • It looks fancy and festive but honestly feels foolproof once you understand the overnight soak does most of the work for you.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight soak—the bread needs those hours to absorb the custard fully, or you'll end up with dry chunks in a pool of sauce.
  • If you use cinnamon swirl bread instead of plain brioche, reduce the cinnamon in your custard to avoid it tasting one-note.
  • The cream cheese filling will seem sparse when you're layering, but it spreads and melts as the casserole bakes, creating those delicious surprise pockets.
03 -
  • If you want extra nuttiness, layer half a cup of chopped pecans between the bread layers—they won't get soggy because the nuts stay mostly above the custard line.
  • Make this in a disposable aluminum pan and you can slide the whole thing to a friend's house for a potluck, foil-covered and ready to reheat.
  • Leftover casserole reheats beautifully in a 300°F oven for about fifteen minutes covered with foil, and it's honestly better on day two when the flavors have time to meld.
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