Fat Tuesday is celebrated March 4. It is called Fat Tuesday because, on this last day of Mardi Gras, people stuff themselves with rich foods before the beginning of 40 days of fasting for Lent. A tradition is to eat King Cake (with a tiny, plastic baby Jesus as a prize).

So, what is King Cake? It is an oval or ring-shaped sweet yeast bread that sometimes contains filling and is typically decorated with vibrant purple, green, and gold sugar or icing. Here is my riff on this traditional, labor-intensive cake. My version does not have filling (or a tiny plastic baby), but I think you will like it just the same.

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1 packet active dry yeast (¼ ounce)

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup granulated sugar (divided)

½ cup warm milk

¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)

1 large egg

¾ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (chopped)

2 teaspoons grated orange zest (chopped)

2¼ cups bread flour

½ cup golden raisins

Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

DOUGH DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar and let stand until foamy (about 5-10 minutes).

3. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, warm milk, the rest of the sugar, butter, egg, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract, lemon zest and orange zest. Blend in 1½ cups of flour. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, workable dough.

4. Knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes. Add raisins and knead for 1 minute more. Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

5. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 24-inch rope. Braid the two ropes together. As you braid, be sure you are pulling the strands gently taut to make a neat and even braid; otherwise, your cake may bulge in some areas. Bring the ends together to form an oval, pinching the ends to seal.

6. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

7. Brush the dough with the egg wash and bake until golden brown (about 25 to 30 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

ICING INGREDIENTS

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon milk

4 tablespoons yellow-colored sugar

4 tablespoons green-colored sugar

4 tablespoons purple-colored sugar

ICING DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, stir the confectioners sugar, butter, almond extract and enough milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle or spread the icing over the cake. Add colored sugar.

Tip: Decorating a King Cake neatly can be tricky and messy. I use a pastry brush to apply icing to one section, then sprinkle with colored sugar, let dry and move on to the next section.

Randy Graham is a private chef and author whose cookbooks include “The Ojai Valley Cookbook,” “The Ojai Valley Vegetarian” and the “The Ojai Valley Vegan.” He has been a vegetarian since 1975 and enjoys cooking for friends and family using ingredients from backyard vegetable and herb gardens.