It’s Carnival season, or as we like to call it, king cake season. From Epiphany on January 6 to Mardi Gras on February 25 this year, the streets of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast come to life to celebrate, and they take their king cake seriously.
New Orleans, Louisiana, even dedicates a festival to this iconic treat. Held in Champions Square on January 26, 2020, the 7th annual King Cake Festival unites more than 20 of New Orleans’ finest bakeries, each displaying their unique take on king cake.
If you can’t make it to Carnival country, you can have a taste of Mardi Gras delivered right to your doorstep thanks to the gourmet food mail-order website goldbelly.com. Try the praline- and strawberry cream cheese-filled king cakes from the iconic Gambino’s, a beloved Crescent City institution, as well as Maurice French Pastries’ classic New Orleans King Cake with a whole slew of filling options. For galette des rois, the French ancestor of king cake that’s also enjoyed during Carnival season, we turn to Poupart Bakery in Lafayette, Louisiana. Visit poupartsbakery.com to order their take on this decadent frangipane-filled pastry. Finally, try your hand at king cake with a recipe for Cinnamon Pecan King Cake (pictured above) from our sister magazine Louisiana Cookin.
