How to Make the Ultimate King Cake for Mardi Gras (and More Mardi Gras Recipes!) (2024)

FAQs

What is usually inside of a Mardi Gras king cake? ›

What does the baby inside the king cake mean? Hidden in its interior, or under a slice, is a small plastic baby. Whoever finds it must either bring the next cake or throw a party, thus sparking an unending round of food and fun.

Hidden in the cake's interior, or under a slice, is a small plastic baby. The plastic baby symbolizes the infant Jesus because of the religious connection to King's Day.

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.

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.

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!

The common denominator between all of these cakes is that they all have a small trinket or figurine — such as a bean, a coin, a nut, or a tiny baby figurine — hidden inside. Whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake gets to be “king” for a day and is also said to have good luck.

▪ 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.

Whoever found the bean or trinket in his or her slice of cake would be crowned the king or queen of the balls leading up to the lavish finale on Mardi Gras. Rather than a bean or expensive ring, the plastic effigy is mostly used today as an emblem of good luck.

Beignets. No trip to New Orleans is complete without experiencing the simple pleasure of a bag of beignets. The fried, fluffy square-shaped doughnuts covered in powdered sugar were made famous at Café du Monde and have been a staple since 1862.

What is the Fat Tuesday king cake? ›

King Cake is a glazed and sugared yeast bread ring that is a New Orleans tradition for Mardi Gras. This version is filled with sweetened cream cheese, which makes it look and taste like a giant cheese Danish. Serve this cake to revelers throughout the Carnival season and on Fat Tuesday.

The cake is baked with a tiny plastic baby hidden inside; whoever gets the slice with the baby in it has to host the next party. Make sure to buy a new tiny plastic baby so you can get the full effect from this cake! Sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugar, or decorate with whole pecans and candied cherries.

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.

A krewe (pronounced "crew") is a social organization that stages parades and/or balls for the Carnival season.

King cake is a New Orleans tradition that involves a pastry, a tiny plastic baby, and a party! The cake is baked with a tiny plastic baby hidden inside; whoever gets the slice with the baby in it has to host the next party.

Most king cakes are traditionally decorated in royal colors of purple, which signifies “justice,” green for “growth,” and gold meaning “prosperity and wealth.” These colors can be seen as chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the three wise men and their gifts during the visit of the Christ Child on Epiphany.

For the icing: While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, condensed milk and lemon juice in a bowl until the icing is smooth and spreadable.

How many people can a king cake serve? Our medium king cake: 16-20 1” slices.