Origins of king cake: What to know about the sweet Mardi Gras treat plus a recipe to try

Mardi Gras season is here which means king cake season is here too. King cake is a sugary treat as synonymous with Mardi Gras as New Orleans and plastic beads.

King cake is oval-shaped and is typically topped with icing and sugar or sprinkles colored with the traditional Mardi Gras yellow, green, and purple.

And inside each cake? A plastic baby hiding in the sweet filling waiting for someone to find it.

When can you start eating king cake?

According to Nola.com, king cake season always kicks off on Jan. 6. That's also Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, and the start of what's called Carnival season. Typically, most bakeries stop selling the famous king cake at the end of Carnival.

In 2024, the last day of Carnival will be Tuesday, Feb. 13. It's also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.

The day after Fat Tuesday is Ash Wednesday which is Feb. 14 this year. It marks the beginning of the Christian tradition Lent, the 40-day season before Easter which consists of "prayer, fasting and almsgiving," according to the United Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Why is it called king cake?

According to National Geographic, Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, is the day Christians believe the three wise men found baby Jesus and gave him his gifts.

The king cake is named for the three kings.

When is Mardi Gras this year?Prep the king cake, here are the details for Fat Tuesday 2024

Origins of the king cake

The king cake's roots are from Europe. According to Southern Living, the king cake tradition was brought from France to New Orleans in 1870.

It's tradition that every king cake holds a plastic baby inside. But it wasn't always this way.

The French originally used "brioche cakes with a bean inside instead of a plastic baby," Anna Harris, executive director of the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi, said to the Clarion Ledger.

Harris also told the Clarion Ledger that whoever found the bean would be crowned "king" for the day. The bean was later replaced by a ceramic baby which was then replaced by the plastic baby we see today.

The baby in the king cake is widely believed to represent baby Jesus.

What does it mean if you get the baby in the king cake?

One main rule of king cake season is that the person who finds the plastic baby will be tasked with bringing a king cake to the next celebration or throwing a party to continue the fun.

According to Better Home and Gardens, the baby is said to represent luck and prosperity.

In addition to the rules about finding the plastic baby, there are some other king cake guidelines that have become commonplace over the years such as always leaving the knife in the king cake box and not hiding the plastic baby again once it's found.

What flavor is king cake?

King cake flavors can vary but a traditional king cake is cinnamon-flavored. NewOrleans.com describes it as being a blend of a cinnamon roll and a coffee cake.

Most king cakes are baked with a cream cheese filling but other fillings such as pecan pralines, cinnamon, fruit and chocolate are also popular.

If you don't live in the New Orleans area, or any of the other U.S. cities that celebrate Mardi Gras, you can order king cake online. Bakeries, like Gambino's, Caluda's King Cakes and Dong Phuong Bakery, ship king cakes nationwide. But if you want to try a slice, you need to act fast. Many other popular bakeries like Manny Randazzo King Cakes and Brennan's King Cakes have already shut down their online king cake sales due to the rising demand.

How to make a king cake

If you don't want to order one, you could always make your own. According to NewOrleans.com, here is the recipe for a king cake from Gracious Bakery in New Orleans.

Recipe

Dough

• 180 grams bread flour
• 54 grams all purpose flour
• 129 grams whole milk
• 24 grams granulated sugar
• 21 grams whole eggs
• 4 grams direct instant yeast
• 4 grams salt
• 2 grams malt powder
• 35 grams butter, cut in 1/4 " chunks

1. Pour the flour, yeast, salt and malt into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Pour in the eggs and milk them ix on Speed one for three minutes.
3. Scrape down the bowl, and pour in the sugar with he mixer on.
4. Continue mixing on speed 1 for a few minutes.
5. Stop the mixer, add the butter then mix on speed two for two minutes.

Finally, pray a medium sized bowl with non-stick spray. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 12 hours/overnight.

Filling

• 170 grams sugar
• 47 grams bread flour
• 2 grams salt
• 10 grams cinnamon
• 20 grams vegetable oil

1. Combine the listed ingredients.
2. Mix thoroughly. 

Icing

• 445 grams confectioner's sugar
• 15 grams corn syrup
• 118 grams water

1. Whisk together all the icing ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Make sure there are no lumps. The website recommends you do this while the cake is baking.

Assembly

1. After it spends the day in the fridge, roll the dough out on a floured surface to 3" by 20" rectangle.
2. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over the dough.
3. Roll it up from the long side to create one long roll.
4. Pinch and attach the ends of the roll together.
5. Place the king cake on a parchment lined sheet pan for 1.5 to 2 hours, in a warm place, and cover it with a dishtowel.
6. Preheat over to 350F
7. When the cake is done resting, remove the dishtowel and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 
8. Wait for the cake to cool then glaze it with the icing and decorate it with purple, green, and gold decorations.