King Cake

[NotUrsula]

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ETA dup post

 

[NotUrsula]

Party City has the babies. Exactly what does one do with 144 of these things?

https://www.partycity.com/white-king-cake-babies-811941.htmlhttps://www.partycity.com/brown-king-cake-babies-811916.html
They're not in stock in any stores near me.

Make 144 king cakes, of course! Seriously, if you buy a bag it's likely to last at least 15 years if you don't make these professionally.

Some people elsewhere in the country use these babies in party favors and decorations for baby showers, but we Louisianians hide them in pastries, because we're just twisted that way, LOL.

Is the Hi-Do cake a doughnut cake?

Funny story about outsiders and King Cakes. Some years back, before the concept of the King Cake had begun to spread outside Louisiana, I had a job in Kansas, and for fun, I made a King Cake and brought it in for the office on Epiphany. One of the guys in the office got the baby, and he happened to be someone who liked to bake, so we were all curious what he would do with the responsibility. Sure enough, the next week, in he came with a box ... and inside it was a homemade cheesecake with the word ELVIS written on it in black icing.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I forgot that the King cakes from LA can be so colorful.

 

[snappy]

Gotta incorporate those Mardi Gras colors, green purple and gold.

 

[LSUmiss]

Make 144 king cakes, of course! Seriously, if you buy a bag it's likely to last at least 15 years if you don't make these professionally.

Some people elsewhere in the country use these babies in party favors and decorations for baby showers, but we Louisianians hide them in pastries, because we're just twisted that way, LOL.

Is the Hi-Do cake a doughnut cake?

Funny story about outsiders and King Cakes. Some years back, before the concept of the King Cake had begun to spread outside Louisiana, I had a job in Kansas, and for fun, I made a King Cake and brought it in for the office on Epiphany. One of the guys in the office got the baby, and he happened to be someone who liked to bake, so we were all curious what he would do with the responsibility. Sure enough, the next week, in he came with a box ... and inside it was a homemade cheesecake with the word ELVIS written on it in black icing.

Hi-do is more plain. No icing. Just sugar on top. If you are familiar with the old McKenzies ones that used to be here, that’s what they’re closest to.

 

[bcla]

Make 144 king cakes, of course! Seriously, if you buy a bag it's likely to last at least 15 years if you don't make these professionally.

Some people elsewhere in the country use these babies in party favors and decorations for baby showers, but we Louisianians hide them in pastries, because we're just twisted that way, LOL.

Is the Hi-Do cake a doughnut cake?

Funny story about outsiders and King Cakes. Some years back, before the concept of the King Cake had begun to spread outside Louisiana, I had a job in Kansas, and for fun, I made a King Cake and brought it in for the office on Epiphany. One of the guys in the office got the baby, and he happened to be someone who liked to bake, so we were all curious what he would do with the responsibility. Sure enough, the next week, in he came with a box ... and inside it was a homemade cheesecake with the word ELVIS written on it in black icing.

I was thinking they might make for some random party favor or maybe in a drink. I remember a vampire themed drink I ordered with plastic vampire teeth.

The first time I’d seen a king cake was working at a shipping logistics company as a summer job in college. A vendor in Metairie sent one to our office. Wasn’t sure what the heck it was, and it wasn’t shared.

 

[NotUrsula]

Not sharing a King Cake has definitely got to be a mortal sin. Sharing is the whole point of making them.

 

[leebee]

My sister went to school at Loyola (she lives in Gretna now), so we went to see her for Mardi Gras one year. I still have the baby that I got from that King Cake, back in 1988! I keep thinking I should order one to be delivered to me here in Maine- recommendations on bakeries?

 

[snappy]

We have used Randazzo’s many times to ship them,

 

[Kitty 34]

This is why I love the DIS....I have never heard of King Cake before. Carry on people.....love the pics. What a pretty cake.

 

[LSUmiss]

My sister went to school at Loyola (she lives in Gretna now), so we went to see her for Mardi Gras one year. I still have the baby that I got from that King Cake, back in 1988! I keep thinking I should order one to be delivered to me here in Maine- recommendations on bakeries?

Haydels or Randazzo’s. Both ship.

 

[lucas]

Haydels or Randazzo’s. Both ship.

Every once in awhile, my best friend in Mandeville ships one to us (now that we live in FL). She has sent them from either place. Let's just say my dh jumps for joy when it arrives!

 

[lucas]

So here are my attempts at baking a king cake. Like I said, not that pretty, but they tasted pretty good.
View attachment 472172View attachment 472173

That looks delish! Great job.

 

[Carol_]

Our Walmart has them.

 

[LSUmiss]

Our Walmart has them.

Oh goodness no! No Walmart King cake!

 

[NotUrsula]

I was feeling inspired ...

 

[ohiomom28]

This is why I love the DIS....I have never heard of King Cake before. Carry on people.....love the pics. What a pretty cake.

I've never had them but I've seen them at Kroger.
And now I want cake

 

[redlight]

I want cake too!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I save king cake babies, too, and I also get funny looks when people go to get something out of the cutlery drawer. I've got one at the moment that is about 3X normal size, which is really hard to use; he's difficult to hide.

If you don't have access to the babies, you can go traditional and hide a raw dried bean. (Which was the norm for ordinary folks before plastic babies were invented. Rich people used ornate silver "beans".) My sister used to do ceramics, and some people use the ceramic babies that are available for miniature creche scenes.

Most of the time I cheat, to tell you the truth ... but cheating is delicious. I often use the "crescent roll"recipe created by the late, great Holly Clegg.

I prefer to fill mine with pecan praline filling or lemon curd, and I decorate differently as well, using canned white or cream cheese icing warmed and drizzled, with decorator sugar/sprinkles over that, rather than dyeing icing as she did. I can turn out a really pretty king cake in 30 minutes with this method. (Note that that recipe makes a smaller, round cake; if you want a traditional-sized oval one, you need to double the recipe.)

PS: also might want to try Clegg's crawfish king cake; same technique, but savory. It makes a really impressive-looking appetizer for a party. https://crawfish.org/hollys-recipes/crawfish-king-cake

So here are my attempts at baking a king cake. Like I said, not that pretty, but they tasted pretty good.
View attachment 472172View attachment 472173

I was feeling inspired ...View attachment 472528

Great! Now I totally want to make a KIng Cake!!! But DH and I are eating low carb right now, so I just can't do it. I have to lower my cholesterol and get my body ready for my knee replacements. But I'm sitting here drooling as I type.

 

[snappy]

Try king cake flavored coffee. No carbs. But add half and half.

https://www.communitycoffee.com/products/coffee/12-oz-ground-mardi-gras-king-cake