No Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without a king cake. If you’ve ever experienced the fun of finding a plastic baby inside a cake, you’ve no doubt eaten one. A king cake is a cinnamon filled dough (similar to a cinnamon roll) in the shape of a hollowed out circle and filled with everything from Creme Cheese to Apple.  The cake is topped with a standard glaze and then covered with festive sugar sprinkles in the Mardi Gras colors of green (representing faith), gold (representing power) and purple (representing justice). As fun as this cake looks and is to experience, like so many things, there is a story that comes with it.

Traditionally the kings cake makes an appearance once a year during the Mardi Gras “carnival season”. In European countries, Epiphany is a celebration that marks the coming of the Magi who brought gifts to the Christ Child. Epiphany is celebrated twelve nights after Christmas. Also referred to “Little Christmas”. On the twelfth night, all over the world people celebrate this holiday by exchanging gifts and feasting. The celebration includes a King Cake which represents the 3 wise men that brought gifts to Christ. The plastic baby (representing Christ) is baked inside the cake to be found by one person.  The person that finds the baby inside their slice of cake must purchase the next King’s Cake or throw the next celebration. These celebrations take place every Sunday for six weeks from Three King’s Day until Fat Tuesday which is the last day of the “Carnival Season” before the beginning of Lent the following day.

If you can’t make it to NOLA during Mardi Gras to eat some of the best King Cakes available, you can still order from a number of New Orleans bakeries and have one sent to you.  There are also local bakeries that make King Cakes as well from your chain grocery stores to some of our local specialty shops.  I’ll include some of those in this post as well as the top New Orleans favorites.

**Disclaimer** The following recommendations come from the very cultured Mrs. Judie Meador who faithfully attends our Let’s Dish program here at the Library the first Thursday of every month. Judie is a foodie (rhyming not intentional). She is a wonderful source for where to eat your next meal out, be it here or while on vacation. She’s so wonderful in fact, that she inspired my post. Enjoy!

Most Popular:  Rouse’s King Cake

The website claims to have sold almost 500,000 king cakes within a 2 month period alone in 2017.  You can’t deny numbers that speak for themselves.  Rouse’s King Cakes ship anywhere within the continental US. The day after Christmas they get to work on making the cakes and are in full swing working 24 hours to meet the demand during the carnival season. The cakes aren’t just seasonal either. If you’re an LSU fan and want a king cake for the tailgate party, Order online from the Krewe at Rouses Market!

Also check out the market’s free recipes for Mardi Gras Monkey Bread and Mardi Gras Parade Rolls

the King of Carnival King Cakes: Haydel’s Bakery  

Haydel’s Bakery goes back 3 generations and is known locally for their wonderful pastries.  Also holding the Guinness record for the largest king cake ever made, weighing in at an astonishing 4,073 pounds and circling the Super Dome, I’d say they have a little experience perfecting a wonderful cake. Haydel’s also ships within the US and I’m told has the best tasting king’s cake available. Having the best around, they’ve offered up their recipe for King Cake so you can try being the best too. *included at the end of the post.

Birmingham Magazine voted Local Favorite: Homewood Gourmet

Want the best king cake on this side of the Mississippi? You can’t go wrong from buying locally from Homewood Gourmet. Chefs Chris and Laura Zapalowski left their home in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina flooded the city in 2005. The chefs settled in Birmingham and years later are making amazing gumbo right here in our city.  How do you make gumbo perfection? It’s all in the Roux. 

Did you know the Homewood Library has a recipe club? Let’s Dish is more than just recipes. It’s good food, stories, and full tummies. Let’s Dish meets the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m.  The theme for March is to choose your own culinary adventure. We’d love to have you and your dish too!

Haydel’s Bakery Official King Cake Recipe

Cream well:

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose shortening

Add and continue creaming:

2 large eggs

Dissolve and add:

1  cup liquid milk (at room temperature)
2 packs active dry yeast
1 teaspoon flavor ( lemon, orange, vanilla or butter)

Add and mix until smooth:

4 cups all-purpose flour

Knead by hand until dough is smooth and pliable.

Dough temperature out of the mixer should be 80 degrees F.

Allow dough to rest for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out in an oblong piece. Paint with vegetable oil. Add heavy cinnamon sugar; fold to hold sugar in.

Cut into three strips; plait (braid). Let rest until it can be stretch easily and made into a circle.

All 3/4 proof. (TO DOUBLE IN SIZE)

Mix colored sugar (purple, gold and green) using granulated sugar and paste color. Put on cake just before it goes into oven.

Bake at 370 degrees F for approximately 12 – 15 minutes.