I’m going to begin today’s review by disclosing a bias for the cake that I’m reviewing. I believe I have an ethical obligation to make this disclosure so that you, readers, can make good king cake choices. Today, I am reviewing the Molly’s Rise and Shine satsuma white chocolate frangipane with cream cheese icing and sunflower seed brittle. And it is here that I will notify you that I am a Molly’s Rise and Shine/Turkey and the Wolf fan girl. Turkey and the Wolf (TW) opened just a couple of blocks from my house way back in 2016. The chef-owner had come from my favorite fine dining restaurant, Coquette. This was branded as a sandwich shop, which didn’t immediately pique my interest, if we are being honest. But my friends, Turkey and the Wolf ended up being so, so, SO much more than just a sandwich shop. We’re here to talk about king cakes, so I won’t wax poetic about TW for too long, but if you haven’t been there, you’re missing out. Also, the owner and their staff are fantastic humans who truly care about our community and give back in some pretty fantastic ways. They absolutely rule as humans. And I’ll just leave it at that.

The owner of TW later opened a breakfast spot called Molly’s Rise and Shine. It’s so great, y’all. This is exceptional breakfast food. It’s not your standard scrambled eggs and bacon (although they do have that), it’s fried chicken biscuits, carrot yogurt (don’t sleep on it), vegan tamales, and their signature dish, the Grand Slam McMuffin. They also do specialty baked goods, like homemade pop tarts in exciting flavors. And if you’re lucky, they do a king cake. In 2019, Molly’s did a peanut butter and jelly filled king cake with frosting and Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbles (4.5 stars). Two years ago, Molly’s made my favorite king cake of 2021. It was a strawberry creme fraiche with cream cheese frosting and lavender sugar. I thought about it at least once a week for two years. They didn’t make one last year and I was sad about it. When they announced they were doing a cake this year, it obviously went to the very top of my to-do list. And boy am I glad I prioritized it.

As soon as I first laid eyes on this cake, I knew the word to describe it. This. Cake. Is. Unapologetic. It knows what it is. It knows WHY it is. It is over the top and it doesn’t care what you think about that. It’s huge and heavy and bold and proud and I love everything about it.

Let’s talk about the sunflower seed brittle. Molly’s was extremely generous with the brittle; so much so, in fact, that I ate several spare pieces from the box in cutting up pieces to give away. Sorry, not sorry. SO not sorry! Sunflower seed brittle appreciation! I definitely thought this was peanut brittle at first but have to commend this choice here. Lots of people have peanut allergies, and this was tastier than peanut brittle, in my opinion. It’s brittle, which I think is Tennessee for “pure sugar”—so yes, it’s sweet. But the saltiness of the sunflower seeds provides a nice balance. It brings a certain nuttiness (yes, I know seeds are nuts are different, okay? But it’s a quality). The icing on which this brittle sits is beautifully whipped cream cheese deliciousness. It would be inaccurate to say that it isn’t very sweet; it is. But it also has a tanginess and it just works so well with all of the elements. I loved the texture and it makes for a beautiful presentation, especially with the sprinkles. Be still my heart.

My favorite part, which will not surprise you, was the filling. Recall that frangipane is, by definition, a sweet almond-flavored filling (I personally think of it as a paste) made with two parts almond cream and one part pastry cream (crème pat, for you GBBO fans out there). Here, the frangipane filling is a satsuma white chocolate flavor. And let me just say here, as card-carrying member of team #givemefillings, the filling is perfect in every way. It is THE perfect consistency. The flavors absolutely SING without being overpowering. I got more satsuma than white chocolate (or almond, for that matter), but that’s a very good thing. It’s what I wanted. Looking at it before trying it, I would have probably told you that I wish it had more filling; however, it was just the right amount for this cake as a whole.

Finally, the dough was exceptional. It was bready, very lightly sweet, and had a fantastic chewiness to it, almost like the consistency of a good sourdough loaf. But, you know, not that. I ended up taking a picture of the last bite [of my first slice] because it really shows how gorgeous the bake on this is, and how perfectly proportioned the elements are. I didn’t intentionally take that picture in front of my Peloton—that just happened to be where the best lighting was at that moment—but don’t you just love the juxtaposition?

I actually reached out to the baker to ask about the dough and she was kind enough to respond. She told me that it is “similar to a brioche dough” but that it is enriched and thus has eggs, milk, and some sugar in it. The difference, she told me, is that they don’t use AP flour (bread flour) which helps keep the dough light and fluffy. It also apparently has a good amount of yeast and sits for a day before it is shaped into ring form so it can develop. (GGBO taught me that this part of the process is calling proofing, or proving! It’s science!)

This was one of my favorite “total package” king cakes by far. The individual elements are amazing but the whole thing comes together in a way that makes you realize how much thought went into both the textures and flavors. And yes, I’m biased, but I still think it’s that good. 5 stars!