The Mardi Gras King Cake Tradition, Explained

Americans start the new year with many life resolutions, but many people around the world – especially those from predominantly Catholic countries – celebrate the change of the calendar with a tam- is a pastry known as king cake. It first appears in bakery cases at the beginning of each year and can be seen at the center of celebrations until early spring. Some relate it to Mardi Gras, others to a celebration known as Epiphany.

King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside today's king cakes is a nod to this story.) King cakes also appear on tables throughout the Carnival season, which runs from Epiphany to Fat Tuesday (the day before the Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent), where Practitioners of the point usually avoid indulgences such as cake.

Pastry goes by different names around the world, and comes in different shapes and styles. Here today, an exploration of the history of this baked treat, the traditions surrounding it, and a brief overview of king cake around the world.

What is king cake?

A sweet, round pastry, cake, or bread that is the centerpiece of a Catholic historical celebration known as Epiphany, which falls on January 6. Today it takes many different forms and appears in a variety of similar celebrations with religious origins. Most Americans are probably familiar with Louisiana-style king cakes that consist of a cake-y bread dough twisted in a ring and decorated with colored icing and sprinkles. Variants can be made from cake batter or bread dough or pastry, but almost all versions are shaped into a circle or oval to mimic the shape of a king's crown.

To do this, sweet dough twisted into a circle and sometimes decorated with colored sugar pastes before baking. Some versions are split and then filled with cream or fruit; others are topped with candied fruit, icing, and colored sugar. The Louisiana-style king cake is almost always decorated in the colors associated with Mardi Gras: green, gold, and purple (representing faith, power, and justice).

What does the child inside the king cake mean?

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Each king cake contains a trinket – usually a small figurine in the shape of a child – that plays an important part in the celebration of the holiday that inspired this pastry. Whoever finds the trinket on their slice of cake will be “king” for a day.

While there is a long history of concealment trinkets inside king cakes, the modern tradition of a small plastic child began in New Orleans. A commercial bakery called McKenzie popularized the baby trinket which were baked into cakes back in the 1950s; they were originally made of porcelain but were later replaced by an easier to find plastic version. These days plastic baby figurines are usually sold with a pre-baked cake and kept by the buyer, rather than baked inside (due to concerns about eating something baked in a piece of plastic).

The baby inside the king cake is an important tradition that every year during Carnival, the New Orleans NBA team unveils a seasonal King Cake Baby mascot (which is absolutely horribleon the road).

A child finding a slice of king cake can mean good luck. Some traditions in New Orleans says that whoever gets the slice with the baby in it is in charge of bringing the king cake to next year's celebration.

What is a good king cake recipe?

For those who want to go the DIY route, there is no shortage of king cake recipes online, including easy-and-lazy variations involving cinnamon rolls. For a reliable recipe, consider checking it out from the folks at King Arthur or this one with caramelized applesadapted to New York Times from Creole chef Dominick Lee. Just don't forget to include the baby.

Where does the king cake come from?

There is supposed to be a king cake from in Old World France and Spain and associated with Epiphany during the Middle Ages. When it was brought to the New World (along with Catholicism and Christianity), the tradition developed further.

In New Orleans, king cake and Mardi Gras go hand in hand: The cakes appear starting in early January and are available until Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The symbolic seed or child baked (or stuffed) into the king cake is important in Mardi Gras celebrations because the person who gets the piece contains the child. must host next year's celebration.

What other countries serve king cakes?

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Places called galette des rois in France literally translates as “cake of kings,” and is a flaky pastry cake made from puff pastry often filled with frangipane almond cream (or sometimes fruit or chocolate). A decorative pattern is placed on top of it before baking, and sometimes the finished cake is placed on top of a paper crown. Traditionally, there is “fève,” or bean, hidden inside.

But the king cakes of New Orleans are more similar to the Spanish-speaking countries than the king cakes that originated in France. Rosca de Reyes, served in Spain and Latin America, a ring-shaped sweet bread which can also be placed on top of candied fruit, in addition to a light layer of icing. Bolo rei, the Portuguese version the king cake, also ring-shaped and filled with candied fruit and sometimes nuts.

The peasantry is common in Bulgaria served on New Year's Eveand also on other special occasions such as weddings or festivals. It consists of sheets of phyllo dough wrapped in soft cheese and it there are charms as well as written fortunes.

the Places called Vasilopita in Greece and Cyprus is traditionally served on New Year's Day, and is very similar to the French galette. It is round and flat with almonds on top that sometimes denote the year. Vasilopita also usually has a coin baked into it.

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

Can I send the king cake for Mardi Gras?

If you're in New Orleans, there is there are many bakeries that sell king cakes – if you're in the market for a traditional brioche ring version or something like peanut butter or bacon. For those outside of Louisiana, there are many bakeries in New Orleans ships nationwide through Goldbellysuch as restaurants and bakeries with galettes des rois.