All of Your Questions About King Cake, Answered

There’s no food more synonymous with Mardi Gras inNew Orleansthan king cake. The ubiquitous Carnival dessert is beloved by every New Orleanian and as soon as the Epiphany rolls around in early January, king cakes can be found in bakeries, homes, and restaurants across Louisiana. However, for those of us not blessed enough to grow up with second lines and the concept oflagniappe, king cake poses some interesting questions that need answering.

Like most Mardi Gras traditions, the “king” in question can be traced back to the Bible. Representing the three kings who visited baby Jesus on the Epiphany, one’s first bite of the delectable dessert can also be considered a rather holy experience.

Brought to North America by the French in 1870, king cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages when the French began bakinggalette des roisprior to Lent. Roman Christians though are believed to have adopted the tradition fromPagan celebrationsof spring and fertility, dating back to a time before drive-thru daiquiris were even a twinkle in New Orleans’ eye.

European king cakes take on a variety of shapes and sizes, but in New Orleans, the classic cake is a twisted ring of brioche-meets-coffee-cake-meets-cinnamon-roll dough topped with a deluge of icing. Although most king cakes around the world are both round and whole, those found in New Orleans are almost always rings. To ask why would question the very nonsensical nature of New Orleans itself, which seems counter to the idea oflaissez le bon temps rouler.

Green (faith), purple (justice), and gold (power) have become synonymous with Mardi Gras, along with a formerly displacedNBA team, but these colors only cemented their importance in New Orleans lore shortly after the arrival of King Cakes themselves. Many date the selection of thethree colorsto 1872 when the New Orleans Krewe of Rex was formed and selected their official Mardi Gras color palette. However, the meaning of each color wasn't formalized until 1892 when the Krewe of Rex Parade’s theme was “The Symbolism of Colors.”

Many have bitten into their first piece of King Cake only to find a small plastic baby, which for anyone not from New Orleans can be a little disconcerting. The baby of courserepresentsJesus as the three kings saw him during the Epiphany, and putting it in the cake calls back to an earlier practice of including a bean, nut, or coin inside. Per New Orleans tradition, whoever finds the baby receives good luck for the year ahead and is responsible for buying the next King Cake, a delicious double-edged sword if there ever was one.