King Cake is the traditional dessert of Mardi Gras. Also known as Twelfth Night Cake, the brioche-style King Cake is prepared in New Orleans bakeries only for the period between the Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday. Don’t forget to also send stylish Mardi Gras cards and Mardi Gras party invitations to commemorate this festive holiday.
The tradition is thought to have begun with French settlers, continuing a custom dating back to 12th century France, when a similar cake was used to celebrate the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas, calling it the feast of Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King’s Day.
Though currently King Cakes are baked in many shapes now, they were originally round in shape to portray the circular route taken by the Kings to confuse King Herod who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ child.
The cakes usually contain a bean, pea, or a figurine symbolizing the baby Jesus. In 1871 the tradition of choosing the queen of the Mardi Gras was determined by who drew the prize in the cake. The person who gets the figure in their piece is considered to have good luck to the person and that person usually holds the next King Cake party.
The Rex Krewe, a Mardi Gras parade organization, chose the festival’s symbolic colors, and since 1872 the colors have been used to tint the cake’s icing. The colors of the King Cake are purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
You may NOT prepare and serve this before Twelfth Night or after Mardi Gras Day!
If you’re not in New Orleans and you would like to make your own King Cake, here’s an excellent King Cake recipe, provided courtesy of Chef Emeril Lagasse.
Happy Mardi Gras!
Do you have a great Mardi Gras recipe? Email us at partyexperts@purpletrail.com
