King cake, a colorfully decorated sweet circular pastry or cake, is the showpiece for Mardi Gras celebrations throughout New Orleans. This year’s celebration began January 6 on Twelfth Night (Epiphany) and continues to Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time, king cakes sell briskly, and many bakeries have their own special versions. In 2025 Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4, making this a long, sugary season.
The name “king cake” refers to the Three Kings who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus on Twelfth Night. While local bakeries put their creative imprint on their cakes, including sweet fillings and various decorations, three symbolic characteristics distinguish this cake: Its twisted ring shape is said to resemble a crown. The cake is decorated with the colors of Mardi Gras: purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. A small baby is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the cake slice with the baby is king (or queen) for the day and hosts the next Mardi Gras party.
Some say the baby inside the cake symbolizes Jesus, but culinary historian and native New Orleanian, Liz Williams, says this is not necessarily so. “Dating back to Medieval times, the Europeans had a tradition of putting trinkets in cakes starting with dried fava beans, known as feves in French.”
Williams recalls the New Orleans bakery McKenzie’s first popularized the baby trinket which originally bisque or biscuit porcelain, giving them a realistic finish. Over time, inexpensive plastic babies replaced porcelain ones. These days, some bakers place the plastic figurine on the outside of the baked cake to alleviate concerns about baking a piece of plastic in the cake and- for liability concerns – someone might accidently swallow the trinket.
The French brought their Galette des Rois to New Orleans in the 1870s. We tasted several from Paris to Provence during our January 2023 Tour de France trip last. The French Galette des Rois is a simpler with a focus on the pastry and filling. In the north and Paris, the galette des rois we tasted had flaky crusts laces with layers of sweet almond cream. In the south, the galette were more like round brioche decorated with dried fruits and sprinkles of sugar. In Spain, another influence on New Orleans, the cake is known as Rosca de Reyes. Other Catholic countries have their versions.
Traditional French Galette des Rois. Source: Bigger Bolder Baking by Gemma Stafford, a former guest on The Connected Table Live. Check out her galette des rois recipe here
But, Mardi Gras king cake, like the city itself, takes the festive spirit and celebration to another level with sugary icing and colorful sprinkles. And just as soon as the cakes start appearing after January 6, they disappear after Ash Wednesday. Some have tried to lengthen king cake season, but, says Williams, New Orleanians stick to their cherished traditions. We’ve learned a few other traditions such as to keep the cake knife in the box ready to slice some more,
Every New Orleanian has a preferred king cake bakery. Here is a list of top recommendations. Many supply wholesale and ship nationwide. King Cake Hub provides information on suppliers. Here is a list a six we recommend:
Dong Phuong
Duong Phuong Bakery is owned by Huong Tran and her husband, who immigrated to New Orleans from Vietnam and established the bakery more than 30 years ago. Duong Phuong was named a James Beard Foundation Awards “Classic” in 2018. Many say their king cake is one of the city’s best, and they sell out quickly. Some grocers stock Duong Phuong king cakes on certain days of the week.
Duong Phuong King Cake
Haydel’s Bakery
Three generations have overseen Haydel’s Bakery which established in 1959. The selection of king cakes range from traditional, some still with a porcelain baby, to creative – iced in the black and gold colors of the New Orleans Saints or shaped like a fleur de lis. Fun fact: in 2010, Haydel’s earned the Guinesss Book of World Records for making the world’s largest king cake.
Haydel’s Traditional King Cake
Gambino’s
This bakery established in 1949 makes a traditional cinnamon king cake decorated with colored icing and sugar as well as cakes filled with cream-cheese and glazed fruits. Customers can order additional decorated touches like feather boas and beads.
Gambino’s King Cake
Randazzo King Cake
Second generation baker, Manny Randazzo uses a family recipe for his king cakes which come plain (just cinnamon) or stuffed with sweet cream cheese.
Randazzo’s King Cake
Caluda’s
Family-run Caluda’s sells wholesale and retail and offers both tradition king cake and versions filled with praline or strawberry cream cheese.
Caluda’s King Cake
Bywater Bakery
Lines form early at Bywater Bakery owned by Chaya Conrad, who formerly served as Bakery Manager at Whole Foods and Rouses. Like many of its pastries, Bywater Bakery’s king cakes are wildly creative with different fillings. (photo to come).
Hubig’s is best known for its glazed fruit-filling fried hand pies. This year, Hubig’s started making king cakes. The king cake we purchased had glazes Dutch apple filling and cinnamon and no baby.
Hubig’s King Cake
A legendary name in the New Orleans restaurant business, Brennan’s also has a thriving king cake business using their baker’s proprietary dough recipe which, according to the website, before baking undergoes a process before baking called “tangzhong” with origins in Japan, which enables the cake to remain fresh for an entire week without any additives. Four styles are available: traditional king cake, Bananas Foster, Pink Parade and Almond -Frangipane.
Brennan’s Traditional King Cake
What wines to pair with king cake?
Consider a frizzante or sparkling with a touch of residual sugar. Moscato d’Asti, a frizzante wine from northern Italy ranges from semi-sweet to semi-dry. Dry Prosecco is a sweeter style of this Italian spumante with residual sugar levels of 17 to 32 grams. German Sekt is a light sweet and refreshing sparkling wine
Or try a sweet red. Vintner and Tulane University alumni, Ames Morrison (Medlock Ames Winery, Alexander Valley, Sonoma) created his 2016 King Cake Dessert Wine as an homage to the cake. This 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine imparts flavors of fresh-baked blackberry and boysenberry pie with a finish of dried figs.