King cake
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr) · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

King cake came to New Orleans via French and Spanish Catholic tradition of celebrating Epiphany (Twelfth Night, January 6) with a galette des rois. The Mardi Gras colours of purple (justice), green (faith) and gold (power) were chosen in 1872 by the Krewe of Rex. The plastic baby inside (representing the Christ Child) was added by McKenzie's Bakery in 1937 to lift the dish. Modern New Orleans now has two giants: traditional cinnamon-braided king cakes from Haydel's and Randazzo's, and a Vietnamese-American king cake from Dong Phuong Bakery in New Orleans East. The season runs January 6 through Mardi Gras.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 550g all-purpose flour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 180ml whole milk, warmed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 100g brown sugar (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon (for filling)
  • 60g unsalted butter, melted (for filling)
  • 250g powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 60ml milk (for glaze)
  • Purple, green and gold sanding sugar (for decoration)
  • 1 small plastic baby figurine

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Make a well; add milk, eggs and softened butter. Mix to a soft dough, knead 8 minutes.
  2. Cover and rest 90 minutes until doubled.
  3. Mix brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Roll dough into a 40cm by 25cm rectangle. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar. Roll up tightly along the long side.
  4. Form a ring by joining the ends, pinching to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined tray. Rest 45 minutes.
  5. Heat oven to 175C (350F). Bake 28 to 32 minutes until deep gold. Cool fully.
  6. Whisk powdered sugar and milk to a thick glaze. Drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle the sanding sugars in three bands: purple, green, gold. Push the plastic baby into the underside of the cake.

Tip from the editors. The baby goes in from the underside after baking, not before. Baking the plastic baby risks melting and tradition (per New Orleans bakery practice) inserts after.

Where to eat king cake

King cake in New Orleans

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery ★ 4.8

$ BakeryVietnamese pastry and king cakeWalk-in only

Dong Phuong in New Orleans is the James Beard America's Classics Vietnamese bakery on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East, with the city's most-demanded.

Worth the queueKing cake (Mardi Gras season)

TipKing cake sales run January 6 to Ash Wednesday only; lines form before opening on weekends.

Directions

Bywater Bakery ★ 4.4

$$ $10 to $20BrunchBakery cafe brunch

Bywater Bakery in New Orleans is the corner cafe on Dauphine Street in Bywater, with king cakes through Mardi Gras, breakfast plates and the Chantilly cream.

OrderChantilly cream cake and a breakfast plate.

TipKing cakes are seasonal between Twelfth Night and Mardi Gras; the chantilly slice is year-round.

Directions

Haydel's Bakery ★ 4.4

$ BakeryKing cake and Mardi Gras pastryWalk-in only

Haydel's Bakery just outside New Orleans on Jefferson Highway is the family-run king cake institution since 1959, with traditional cinnamon-braided king.

Worth the queueTraditional king cake

TipOrder online for nationwide shipping in Carnival season; the original Jefferson store also stocks daily.

Directions

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