By Sabrina Choudhary for Food Network Kitchen

Sabrina Choudhary is the Online Editorial Coordinator for Food Network Magazine.

You might know king cake as that colorful Mardi Gras dessert with the plastic baby hidden inside, but there’s a lot more to this festive treat. So, what exactly is it, and where did its traditions come from?

What Is King Cake?

King cake is a sweet yeast-leavened pastry served between Christmas and Lent in parts of Europe and the Americas.

A small trinket such as a plastic or porcelain figurine, coin or bean is typically hidden inside. The holiday king cake is associated with varies from culture to culture; in some places it’s a New Year’s tradition and in others it’s served on Epiphany, for example.

In the United States, king cake is a Gulf Coast specialty, particularly in New Orleans. It’s made during Carnival, which takes place between Epiphany (January 6) and Mardi Gras. These king cakes are usually made with brioche or Danish dough and taste like a cinnamon roll or coffee cake. They’re often filled with cream cheese, fruit or nuts and decorated in green, purple and gold, the official colors of Mardi Gras. The trinket hidden inside is nearly always a plastic baby.

Today, bakers in New Orleans love to put their own spin on the pastry. Some incorporate non-traditional ingredients such as crawfish; some cross king cake with other local favorites like bananas foster or muffalettas; others even swap out the plastic baby for a custom item.

King Cake History and Traditions

King cake’s roots can be traced all the way back to the Ancient Roman holiday Saturnalia, a weeklong festival that began on December 17. A fava bean was hidden in a galette made for the celebrations. Whoever found it in their slice became king for the day, meaning they could order everyone around and play pranks. Anyone could become the mock king, even someone normally at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Over the centuries, Saturnalia traditions became absorbed into Christian practices in Europe, and some of the celebrations shifted to align with newer holidays such as Christmas, Epiphany or Lent. By the Middle Ages, the Roman fava bean galette had become part of Carnival season, or the period of festivities leading up to Lent. It was part of celebrations in many places, including England, Portugal, Spain and France.

At the turn of the 18th century, French settlers arrived in what is now Louisiana — and brought their culture with them. Since New Orleans wasn’t built until 1718, it took until the 19th century for Mardi Gras to catch on there. People began reviving old French customs such as throwing lavish parties, according to Liz Williams, founder of the city’s Southern Food & Beverage Museum. The Mardi Gras parade became bigger and more organized toward the end of the 1800s, and king cake made a comeback. The pastry was much simpler than the modern version: a cinnamon-flavored brioche base without fillings and with a fava bean baked inside.

In the 1940s, New Orleans king cake really evolved. Bakers at McKenzie’s Pastry Shoppes started replacing the bean with inch-tall porcelain dolls, which were used by potters at the time to test for hot spots in their kilns. McKenzie’s started baking them into their cakes to differentiate them from their competitors’. This started a trend over the next couple of decades; other bakeries started using figurines instead of beans. Today, it’s traditional in New Orleans to use a plastic baby instead of a bean, though you can still call it a fève — French for fava bean. If you find the fève in your slice, you’re responsible for bringing the king cake to the next Mardi Gras party or hosting the party yourself.

When Do You Eat King Cake?

“The season,” as bakers say in New Orleans, lasts from Epiphany, January 6, through Mardi Gras, so the exact time frame varies year to year. It’s frowned upon to eat king cake outside of this window, but you can eat as much of it as you want during Carnival. With several weeks to celebrate, you're encouraged to sample lots of cakes from different bakeries. Kids bring them to school, adults bring them to the office and people throw Mardi Gras parties throughout the season.

Best King Cakes in New Orleans

The best king cake in New Orleans is hotly debated. Locals all have their favorites, but there are many popular, well-established bakeries in town.

Manny Randazzo King Cakes

Manny Randazzo is one of the most beloved king cake vendors in the city. In 2012, its Pecan Praline version was voted the “King Cake King” of New Orleans.

Gambino’s Bakery

Gambino’s has been selling king cakes since 1949. Its traditional pastries are made with Danish dough and without too many frills. If you’re not in town, Gambino’s also ships its cakes nationwide.

Haydel’s Bakery

Haydel’s has been family-run for three generations, and it’s well known for its king cakes, and larger-than-life takes on it. In 2010, it broke the Guinness World Record for largest king cake at 4,073 pounds and 7.12 ounces. The cake took 28 bakers three and a half days to make, and the finished product wrapped around the Louisiana Superdome! You can order a Haydel’s king cake online within the U.S.

Dong Phuong Bakery

Opened in 1982, the city’s oldest Vietnamese bakery has a cult following. Fans line up for its signature laminated brioche king cakes. You'll have to wake up — or pre-order — early if you want to snag one before they sell out!

King Cake Recipes

If you’re itching for some king cake but your favorite bakery is sold out or you can’t get to one, we’ve got you covered. Making the pastry is often a labor of love — some bakeries take two or three days to make theirs — but our recipes simplify the process. Have fun with the fillings and decorations, and don’t forget to add some type of fève!

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How the First Female Chef at a Historic New Orleans Restaurant Celebrates Mardi Gras

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