The Ultimate Southwest Louisiana King Cake Guide (2024)

FAQs

The Ultimate Southwest Louisiana King Cake Guide? ›

Classic King Cakes

Manny Randazzo's King Cakes — Boasted by locals far and wide as the best king cake in the state, Randazzo's is a Metairie-based bakery dedicated to king cakes and only king cakes.

Classic King Cakes

Manny Randazzo's King Cakes — Boasted by locals far and wide as the best king cake in the state, Randazzo's is a Metairie-based bakery dedicated to king cakes and only king cakes.

Remember, finding the baby inside the king cake not only makes you a “king,” but it also comes with some responsibilities. If you are so fortunate to find the baby in your slice of cake, you will be responsible for hosting the next Mardi Gras celebration and providing the next king cake!

One main rule of king cake season is that the person who finds the plastic baby will be tasked with bringing a king cake to the next celebration or throwing a party to continue the fun. According to Better Home and Gardens, the baby is said to represent luck and prosperity.

King cakes come in various flavors, but traditionally, the king cake is a cinnamon-flavored dough covered in sweet green, gold, and purple sugar or icing. Over time, other flavors became just as popular. Two of the most popular flavors are the cream-cheese and our Praline king cake.

One other key difference between Rosca de Reyes and Mardi Gras Cake is how they are decorated. The Reyes cake has no green, white, or yellow icing, but actually is decorated with candied fruit to resemble a king's crown. With Mardi Gras King Cake, if you find the baby you have to buy the next cake.

Q: How long will the king cake stay fresh? Our king cakes will stay fresh 2 to 3 days after receiving it. If you want to keep it longer, we suggest freezing it. See our recommendations under “How to freeze my king cake”.

The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. That person is also responsible for purchasing next week's cake or hosting the next Mardi Gras party. Often, bakers place the baby outside of the cake, leaving the purchaser to hide it themselves. This is usually to avoid liability for any choking hazard.

If you find the bean in your slice, you might be in for some hosting duties. In some traditions, the person who discovers the bean is obligated to host the next social gathering or, in some cases, bake the next King Cake.

The colors of the icing (and the royal colors of Mardi Gras) have a deeper meaning. Gold represents power, green is associated with faith, and purple illustrates justice. King Cake is a frosted seasonal treat usually eaten between January 6, known as King's Day or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday.

What does it mean if you cut the baby in a king cake? ›

When a king cake is served at a Mardi Gras celebration, everyone wants to know who was served the slice with the king cake baby—but what does it mean if you find one? Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake symbolizes luck and prosperity. As such, the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening.

The history of the king cake came from European and Roman Catholic roots, which made its way into the New Orleans area in the 1870s. In contrast to the French king cakes, which are a flaky puff pastry, the New Orleans style is similar to the Spanish tradition, which is oval-shaped and topped with icing.

It has also been proven to help with portion control, because when the knife is in the box, people can go back and cut off little slabs like this. If you have to pull out a fresh knife from the drawer. every time you want a piece of king cake, you're gonna Wanna get the most out of that knife.

▪ The Millionaire king cake at the Palace Casino bakery has to be one of the most decadent ever, swirled chocolate and caramel, smothered in pecans and filled with a choice of cream cheese or Bavarian cream. It's one of 12 flavors in two sizes that can be found at Palace Cafe and Bakery.

Something like king cake is available year round, but those faithful to New Orleans tradition know it only has its cultural significance during Carnival season. That season will fly by this year, between the kick off on Jan. 6 and Fat Tuesday bringing down the curtain on Feb. 13.

Gambino's is an old-school New Orleans bakery famous for its Doberge cake year-round. But come Carnival season the king cakes ship around the globe, with fillings aplenty (almond wedding cake, Bavarian cream, blueberry, chocolate cream cheese, pecan praline, and more).

Doberge. Doberge is a popular cake that originated in New Orleans.

A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras -- and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses. Hidden within these season sweets also lie a special surprise: a plastic king cake baby to continue the fun.

The lucky individual who scores the piece of king cake with the baby inside is said to gain favor, but they're also tasked with hosting duties and bringing their own king cake for next year's revelry.

It is believed that French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville brought the traditions of Mardi Gras to southern Louisiana, but the king cake tradition itself is thought to have arrived around 1870 from France.