Fresh King Cakes Directly from New Orleans
King Cakes are a vibrant part of the Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans.
As part of New Orleans' Christian faith, the coming of the wise men bearing gifts to the Christ Child is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. We refer to this as the Feast of the Epiphany, or Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night. This is a time of celebration, exchanging gifts and feasting. Today, the tradition continues as people all over the world gather for festive Twelfth Night celebrations. A popular custom was and still is the baking of a special cake in honor of the three kings, called "A King's Cake."
Inside every cake is a tiny baby (generally plastic now, but sometimes this baby might be made of porcelain or even gold). The tradition of having King Cake Parties has evolved through time, and the person who receives the slice of cake with the baby is asked to continue the festivities by hosting the next King Cake party.
Originally, King Cakes were a simple ring of dough with a small amount of decoration. Today's King Cakes are much more festive. After the rich Danish dough is braided and baked, the "baby" is inserted. The top of the ring or oval cake is then covered with delicious sugar toppings in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.
In more recent years, some bakeries have been creative with stuffing and topping their cakes with different flavors of cream cheese and fruit fillings.
January 6, the Twelfth Night after Christmas, is also the day our Mardi Gras season begins. Mardi Gras Day is always 47 days prior to Easter Sunday (Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday).
So, in Louisiana especially, Mardi Gras season and King Cakes go hand in hand with literally hundreds of thousands of King Cakes consumed at parties and office lunch rooms every year.
Ordering King Cakes over the internet has now become an annual tradition by consumers all around the world - and many of our bakers offer them year-round. After all, you can't have a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake!
Shop for King Cakes
Cannata's King Cakes
Take it from the locals: we have tried every king cake in the city and this is the best one around! They arrive fresh and delicious, just like you walked into the bakery and bought it off the shelf! Try one or two today!
Dianne's King Cakes
For that delicious taste you and your guests enjoy every season, Dianne's King Cakes MORE than satisfy! This bakery is dedicated to the production of the finest Mardi Gras king cakes in the city.
Connect with Mardi Gras New Orleans!
"As Mayor of the great City of New Orleans, I invite you to visit our city to experience the excitement of Mardi Gras! While the excitement of New Orleans with its music, food and culture is year-round, we invite everyone to experience Mardi Gras at least once in their lifetime... READ MORE