King Cake - A New Orleans Tradition
A Delicious Tradition for Carnival Season
It's cake!
It's bread!
It's an oversized cinnamon roll!
It's King Cake and it's delicious.
Sometimes associated with the festival of Epiphany during the Christmas season in countries such as France, Belgium and Switzerland, king cakes are best known in the United States for being served during Carnival or Mardi Gras.
Read on for more information about king cake traditions, some links to king cake recipes as well as a list of the most popular king cake bakeries in New Orleans - order and have yours delivered to you if you can't come here.
Did you know?
By tradition, king cakes are never served before January 6th - twelfth night - nor after Mardi Gras day.
How We Feel About King Cakes
A Ring of Gooey Goodness
King cakes come in a number of styles, but the most common is a ring of twisted bread similar to brioche. It is then topped with icing and/or sugar that is colored purple, green and gold - the colors of Carnival. Some varieties of king cake have filling such as cream cheese, praline, cinnamon, raspberry and chocolate.
Listed below are four of the most popular king cake bakeries in New Orleans.
My personal favorite is Randazzo's because of these soft gooey icing and raspberry fillings that they offer. But, you have to order ahead or risk not getting your king cake. Plan on standing in line, too!
Trinket
Local King Cake Bakeries
- Sucre - King Cake, Macarons, Dark Chocolate & Chocolate Gifts
Our ★★★★★ Macarons Will Transport You To A Cafe in Paris, Our One-Of-A-Kind Gourmet Chocolate Will Be Impossible To Resist. What Are You Waiting For? Call Now! - Gambino's Bakery - New Orleans King of King Cakes
Gambino's Bakery - New Orleans King of King Cakes After opening its doors over sixty five years ago, Gambino's Bakery has become a tradition around the world - Manny Randazzo - Famous New Orleans Kingcake Bakery since 1965!
We bake New Orleans Style King Cakes using our Famous Family Kingcake Recipe from 1965! Manny Randazzo Kingcakes makes Award-Winning Traditional and Filled King Cakes for sale in shop and online. Order an authentic taste of New Orleans history today! - Haydel's Bakery
For over 3 generations, Guinness record-holding Haydel's Bakery has been treating discriminating New Orleanians to the finest fresh-baked cookies, cakes and pastries. Each year during Mardi Gras, Haydel's ships overnight thousands of fresh, deliciou
Did you know?
By tradition, if you get the piece of cake with the plastic trinket - most often a baby - you are obligated to bring the next cake.
Great Links to Learn More - About King Cakes, Carnival and New Orleans
- New Orleans king cake history: 10 things to know | NOLA.com
Get a taste of Mardi Gras history - King Cakes
New Orleans king cake, a Mardi Gras pastry and stores where the dessert is sold - King Cake
A site dedicated to preservation of New Orleans culture - King cake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louisiana style King Cake: A cinnamon-roll like cake inside with sugary icing with traditional Mardi Gras colored sprinkles on the outside...
How to Make King Cake
King Cake Recipes - For Those That Want to Make Their Own...
- King Cake Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network
Food Network invites you to try this King Cake recipe from Emeril Lagasse. - Nola Cuisine - King Cake Recipe
Nola Cuisine - Celebrating the Food and Drink of New Orleans Louisiana! - How to Make a Mardi Gras King Cake | eHow.com
How to Make a Mardi Gras King Cake. The Mardi Gras king cake is a tradition many people use to celebrate the time between Christmas and Mardi Gras. Some families will make one cake a week and others may make only one cake for the... - Mardi-Gras King Cake - Traditional and Bread Machine Versions - - FabulousFoods.com
Recipe for Mardi Gras King Cake, Traditional and Bread Machine Versions. King Cakes are a huge part of Mardi Gras traditions throughout the South. The cake's origins date back to the Feast of the Epiphany.
Where do you get your king cake?
Favorite King Cake Bakery?
© 2010 Laura Fincannon
