The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. 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.
What is the king cake and what is the point of it?
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 delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside king cakes today is a nod to this story.)
Why do they put a baby in king cake?
When a king cake is served at a Mardi Gras celebration, everyone wants to know who was served the slice with the baby—but what does it mean if you find one? Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the ‘king’ or ‘queen’ of the evening.
What does New Orleans king cake taste like?
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.
What type of cake is a king cake?
puff pastry cake
The classic French version of a king cake, the galette des rois, is a puff pastry cake that is usually filled with frangipane (a sweet cream made from almonds, butter sugar and eggs). Today, the modern, New Orleans-style king cakes are shaped like rings and covered in purple, yellow and green sugar.
Is king cake a Catholic tradition?
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.
Do you eat king cake on Fat Tuesday?
Carnival Season in New Orleans
King cake is often eaten with great anticipation. While Mardi Gras is a “moveable holiday”, which culminates with the end of Fat Tuesday, the following day is always, always, always Ash Wednesday. Regardless, Twelfth Night is always the same observable day of January 6th every year.
What happens if you cut the baby in a king cake?
As you cut yourself a slice of the oval-shaped treat, they may inform you that whomever gets the piece with a small plastic baby inside has to bring the king cake themselves next time.
When should you eat king cake?
When do you eat king cake? King cake is indeed a heavenly treat for New Orleanians when it appears in supermarkets and bakeries between early January and Ash Wednesday. Some bakeries across the city begin selling as early as December, but always at the start of Carnival – January 6.
Is king cake a southern thing?
“According to New Orleans lore, the first king cake was fashioned by a New Orleans social group, the Twelfth Night Revelers, who would hide a bean, jeweled ring, or pecan inside the cake for their Mardi Gras celebration.
Is king cake just a cinnamon roll?
About the King Cake
The traditional Mardi Gras King Cake is a ring of cinnamon roll dough that is topped with an icing. It is usually finished off with the Mardi Gras colors of green, yellow, and purple. King Cakes generally have a small figurine called a fève hidden inside.
Why do we only eat king cake between January 6th and Fat Tuesday?
(WAFB) – In France, the traditional king cake – known as the galette des rois – is only eaten around the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6. For Many, Jan. 6 is known as King’s Day (hence, king cake), Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, because it falls 12 days after Christmas.
What is the most popular flavor of king cake?
cinnamon
While the traditional cinnamon flavor is by far the most popular with locals, his Pecan Praline won the Times-Picayune King of King Cakes award in 2012.
Do you eat king cake cold or warm?
After lightly touching the icing to make sure it’s not too hot, eat and enjoy. The king cake dough should be warm and tender.
What’s inside a king cake?
A miniature plastic baby, which symbolizes baby Jesus, is placed inside of each cake to signify the Epiphany. The person who gets the slice that contains the baby is known as the king. They are charged with the responsibility of bringing a king cake to the next event.
Are king cakes dry?
According to tradition, a little plastic baby is put inside the cake, and the lucky person who lands the piece with the baby is supposed to provide the king cake next year. But like fruit cake, it often gets a bad rap for being tasteless and dry due to the custom in which it’s baked.
How do you hide the baby in a king cake?
If you want to hide a toy baby—or another object, like a trinket, coin or dried bean—wait until after the cake is baked and cooled. Otherwise, the object could melt and ooze into your cake. Insert the baby from the bottom of the cake so that people won’t be able to see where it is.
How long do you eat king cake?
Recipes for king cakes are usually taken out and dusted off before the Christian holiday of Epiphany (aka Three Kings) and they are made continually until Fat Tuesday, which we all know as Mardi Gras, per Today. That season began on Jan. 6 and it ends on Feb. 16, this year.
What do you serve with king cake?
Classic, cream cheese king cakes pair well with a pale lager, like the Bayou Bengal from Tin Roof Brewing Co. The mellow flavors of this beer—malt, bread and a hint of honey—don’t overpower the sweet and mild cream cheese filling.
Should you refrigerate king cake?
Yes. A King Cake will stay fresh longer if refrigerated. It can be kept in a refrigerator for up to a week and can even be frozen for up to 3 months! Before serving simply remove it from the plastic bag and serve at room temperature.
Who eats king cake?
Portugal. Bolo-rei, ( lit. ‘king cake’) is a traditional Portuguese cake eaten from the beginning of December until Epiphany. The recipe is derived from the French galette des rois which found its way to Portugal during the 1800s when Confeitaria Nacional opened as the Portuguese monarchy’s official bakery in 1829.