- No matter where you get your king cake, there is one cardinal rule: the knife stays in the box.
I have vague memories of eating king cake as a child. I was born in Mobile, where Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the United States. My parents met each other in New Orleans, and they always had an affinity for the Crescent City. My dad traveled for work, often driving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where, during carnival season, he would bring home a king cake, usually from Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune.
Paul’s has been making their world-famous king cakes since the early 1970s, shipping them around the country. You’ll have to decorate it on your own with the icing and colored sugar they provide with the cake. To make the experience last longer, freeze the cake, then thaw and eat a slice with your morning coffee.
As Mardi Gras moved along the Gulf Coast region, it took hold in New Orleans, where the tradition took root and never let go. New Orleans embraced Mardi Gras in such a way that many might believe they invented it. The same goes for the accompanying king cake, which was traditionally served from Epiphany (January 6) until Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.
Each cake has a plastic baby hidden inside. The cake was once served at Mardi Gras parties, and whoever got the baby was tasked with hosting the next party. Nowadays the baby is said to symbolize the Christ child, and it is said that the lucky recipient will be blessed with good fortune and happiness.
The cakes are typically a ring of twisted dough, similar in texture and taste to a cinnamon roll. They are either topped with icing or colored sugar – sometimes both. Some reports claim the sugar was an homage to the bounty of the sugar cane fields in New Orleans. The sugar is typically dyed in traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
Some cakes are filled with cream cheese, fruit, or praline, although many bakeries offer a much broader selection of fillings – it seems they all try to out-do each other.
Finding a king cake in New Orleans, or just about anywhere in Louisiana, is as easy as finding a donut. There are the old-school New Orleans bakeries that have been turning out the classic king cake for generations – Manny Randazzo’s (since 1965), Haydel’s Bakery (now in their third generation), and Joe Gambino’s (also known for their exceptional po’boy bread).
Some bakeries are reimagining the king cake. Breads on Oak offers a vegan version. Bywater Bakery has become known for its out-of-the-box flavors, including savory king cakes featuring white bread dough smothered in garlic butter and filled with boudin, crawfish, and artichokes.
The “holy grail” of king cakes is no doubt from Dong Phuong Bakery. The James Beard Award-winning bakery offers a moist and slightly sweet king cake that tastes more like a frosted pastry than cake. Don’t try to get one from their storefront on Chef Menteur Highway. The pre-orders were booked solid for the season before January 6. But they do have resellers around the city and even into Waveland, Mississippi.
Of course, the grocery store bakeries in New Orleans offer king cakes throughout the season. Rouse’s offers a variety of flavors, and they ship nationwide in Mardi Gras-decorated FedEx boxes.
It’s much easier to find king cakes in Mississippi these days. Loblolly Bakery in Hattiesburg makes hundreds of cakes during Mardi Gras season, and they deliver to various locations around the Pine Belt.
In Jackson, Broad Street Bakery has been making king cakes for several years. Cakes can be ordered online – be sure to allow at least 24 hours. Flavors range from traditional cinnamon to almond, to the popular savory jalapeno crawfish king cake.
No matter where you get your king cake, there is one cardinal rule: the knife stays in the box!
Susan Marquez
