During the Carnival season, king cakes are ubiquitous in New Orleans. Descended from the French galette des rois, a round pastry, sometimes filled, the New Orleans version of the cake is a simple braided ring of dough sprinkled with sugar colored in the three colors of Mardi Gras, purple (for justice), green (faith) and gold (power). Traditionally served at parties between Epiphany and Shrove Tuesday, each cake contains a small token, originally a dried bean, now a metal or ceramic medallion or a tiny, plastic baby. Whoever gets the token is proclaimed king or queen of the party (and is obliged to throw the next king cake party, leading to many a surreptitiously-pocketed baby).
Those were simpler times. Now king cakes come in countless varieties, even special versions for other seasons (the best example of such heresy being Haydel Bakery’s Christmassy Cajun Kringle). There are now so many versions, it’s impossible to keep track of them all.
Or so it seemed until last night.
GF’s boss started throwing king cake parties a few years back and it’s gone quickly to the ridiculous. Guests take it as a challenge to provide an example of every cake on offer in the city, some from as far away as the little town of Paradis in the River Parishes. At one point in the evening, I counted 21 varieties of the sweet flour bombs laid out.
Here are a few. Enjoy. But, word to the wise: stay away from the king cake flavored vodka.
A friend pointed out the original McKenzie’s Bakery cakes were only colored sugar and no white icing, but the dough has the thick “breadiness” of a traditional New Orleans king cake.
Here’s a very traditional French galette des rois.
One of Haydel’s variations, topped with praline icing and pecans and a huge, mutant baby.
and lots more… so.. many… more...
There are more, but that should be enough carbo loading to get your eyeballs through the Sunday pundits and what not.
Shameless self-promoting postscript:
If you thought I’d post a Carnival-themed diary without plugging the new vid for my Mardi Gras record, well, here’s the baby in your cake, Your Majesty.