Myabe you’re going to New Orleans, you’ve been, or you just want a taste of it, and your overwhlemed by the large assortment of king cake options out there. Trust me, I get it. I’m a local and even I can get overwhelmed! It’s changed so much since I moved away 12 years ago – with new bakeries, and new styles of cakes popping up and becoming the new hottest cake in town. But with that being said, I have had my fair share of the stuff, and I’d say my palate for it is pretty good, so you’re gonna wanna take notes 😉 #justsayin
Haydel’s Bakery – Let’s start with the best of the best, shall we? Haydel’s Bakery is by far the best king cake to order for out of state delivery. It is slightly more expensive because you are paying for overnight shipping, but the cake will be well worth it. I always either order the ‘Traditional‘ king cake package which has icing and sugar or the ‘Sugar Only‘ – the main difference is that the icing version is slightly sweeter. With that being said, regardless of topping, I always, always choose no filling. I am not into the fruit or cream cheese stuffing options. Plain and simple is my go-to!
Manny Randazzo’s – I believe that when McKenzie’s shuttered in 2000, people either went one of two ways – either to Haydel’s or to Randazzo’s. Randazzo’s king cakes are just as popular as Haydel’s, with a 30 minute wait at any given time during Mardi Gras season. However, I prefer the more traditional king cake with granulated sugar and Randazzo’s cakes are icing + sprinkles. For this reason, Randazzo’s cakes come in second place to Haydel’s for me. The cakes also run about $10 more than Haydel’s to ship.
FYI – Manny and his wife got into a nasty divorce and she has since opened up her own bakery selling the ‘same’ recipes under her name. There are also several family members, all with bakeries, all with Randazzo’s in the name. It can be confusing, and I’m not here to say one is better than the other, but when people ask, I always suggest Manny’s.
McKenzie’s Bakery {Tastee Donuts} – Speaking of my youth, McKenzie’s king cakes were it when we were kids. It was all the moms ever brought when we had Mardi Gras parties at school because they used to make these king cakes that were the size of giant hot wheels tracks. They only ever used sugar as a topping, and a maraschino cherry was always plopped on one end {their signature}. To pull from this article: “The McKenzie king cake is a study in simplicity. The cake is moist brioche. There is no filling or even cinnamon inside. On top, it’s decorated with colored sugar and nothing else. Without a sticky layer of icing to hold down the sugar, each bite unleashes a cascade of purple, green and gold. Sometimes basic is best.”
Unfortunately for us, McKenzie’s closed down in 2000 after 65 years in the business and never reopened. The city of New Orleans mourned the loss of these infamous king cakes, and the bakery that had come to mean so much to locals. For years, we had to rely on other bakeries to fill the void, until very recently, Tastee Donuts bought the infamous McKenzie’s king cake recipe. Now, you can apparently buy the king cake from yesteryear, although I haven’t tried it and I can’t say that I believe it will really be the same. Can’t say I’m not intrigued though! Call to order {they ship} – (504) 483-9080
Sucre – Arguably the most beautiful king cake is from Sucre. Covered in a glossy sugar coating that has a metallic sheen, people love to send this cake because it is a showstopper. Far and away different looking than any other traditional king cake, the sucre order is memorable. But I’m not sure for the right reasons….I ventured over to their shop on Magazine last week while visiting my parents and was prepared for a different experience. What I wasn’t prepared for was the vast disappointment I felt when trying a piece of this cake for myself. It was goopy, and gummy and filled with some sort of whipped cream cheese which made the entire cake feel and taste slimy. It was beyond inedible. Maybe it’s just me and my penchant for traditional cakes, but I was so turned off I could only eat one bite. This cake is beautiful and that’s about it {IMO.}
Dong Phuong – Probably New Orleans’ most infamous King Cake is the one from Dong Phuong, a Vietnamese bakery in New Orleans East. Impossible to get your hands on, this cake isn’t your traditional sweet treat, but rather a horseshoe shaped croissant style cake with a cream cheese icing. Even though they made roughly 30,000 King Cakes in 2017 alone, I still haven’t been able to get my hands on one! Apparently there is a months long waiting list, and even pre orders sell out weeks in advance. Watch this video and see for yourself why these cakes are so popular!
Hi Do Bakery – Have heard incredible things about Hi-Do Bakery, based on the Westbank in Terrytown. Their cake is a nice plain brioche-style cake which is very similar to the McKenzies cake of yesteryear. The Hi-Do king cakes also don’t have the super sweet white icing on them… so if you like fillings but not cinnamon and icing, those might be worth a try. Also available in cool shapes including fleur de lis and crab, but take note, they only accept cash + check only.
Gambino’s Bakery – Gambino’s is a bakery that’s been around in New Orleans for decades, and a place more famous for their doberge cakes and petit fours than their king cake {IMO}. With that being said, their King Cake is still very delicious and one of the more traditional on this list! They ship worldwide, but just note that you have to assemble icing + sugar yourself once delivered and this {again, IMO} is messy and not a pretty sight.
When I originally posted to stories about my king cake order, I received hundreds of messages. The questions ranged from wanting to know about the history of Mardi Gras and the king cake, to gluten free options and if I had ever tasted the Phong Duong. I wanted to put a few of the most popular below – but if I’ve skipped any, or you’re extra curious about anything else, let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!
What is the history behind Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras – aka Fat Tuesday – refers to events of the Carnival party season. Mardi Gras begins the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (47 days before Easter) and ends on Lent.
What is king cake? It is a sweet, sweet, circular pastry (or cake or bread) that is that is (rightfully so) the focal point of Epiphany (a Catholic celebration on January 6). Most of us recognize the Louisiana-style king cakes that are a cake-y bread twisted into a ring and decorated with colored icing and sugar. Traditionally royal colors are used: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These colors are meant to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men when visiting baby Jesus on Epiphany. Whether made from cake batter or bread dough or pastry, almost all king cakes are shaped into a circle or oval as to represent a king’s crown.
Why is there a plastic baby hidden inside the King cake? Traditionally, every king cake contains a little plastic baby and whomever finds the baby in their slice of cake must buy the next cake and/or host the next party. Sometimes, due to the potential hazard of choking, bakeries will leave the baby out for the person who purchases the cake to hide it for his/her guests.
When do you start eating King Cake? I thought it was just Fat Tuesday King cake is ours to enjoy starting on January 6 for Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which is when the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem to deliver gifts to baby Jesus. King cake stays on the tables throughout Carnival season, from Epiphany to Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent).
Do you know of any gluten free options? I don’t specifically know of any gluten free king cakes, but that most certainly does not mean that they don’t exist! If you have a certain food allergy I would call the bakery before placing an order online.
What does ‘Da Parish’ mean? Da parish is a type of topping style – it means they put the granulated sugar on first, and then the icing on top of that.
Can you buy by the slice? Yes! If you go into the actual bakeries, most will let you buy by the slice!
Have you tried Blue Bell’s King Cake ice cream flavor? Yes! It is very good, but a little too sweet for me to eat an entire bowl of! But if you love sweet, and you love king cake, then you would love this ice cream!
