King Cake Recipes That Reign Over Mardi Gras

By Allrecipes Editors
Allrecipes Magazine
King cake — the colorful, ring-shaped cake with a surprise inside — is the essential Mardi Gras dessert. Types of king cakes vary from baker to baker and can be coffee cake-style pastries or sweet bread-like desserts. We're sharing our favorite king cake recipes with plenty of tips to help you make one for your Fat Tuesday festivities. And, we've included some tidbits about this traditional pastry so you'll know what to say when people ask you about it.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

The tradition behind the king cake

Getty Images / kdow

The king cake tradition began in France in the 19th century. The cake's three colors represent justice (purple), faith (green), and power (gold). The cake's ring shape, too, is significant, symbolizing the unity of all Christians as well as the shape of a king's crown.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Why the plastic toy baby?

GETTY IMAGES / addie27

Mardi Gras season begins on the  Epiphany, a Christian feast day that commemorates the Magi (the three kings) meeting the infant Jesus. The plastic baby that people add to king cakes represents the Christ child. Today, people of all faiths enjoy king cakes between Twelfth Night (Epiphany) and Mardi Gras. 

3 of 12

It doesn't have to be a baby

Getty Images / Jenniveve84

Just insert the toy baby into the cake while the cake is still slightly warm from the oven. The icing and sugar decoration should cover your tracks. If you're worried about a choking hazard, substitute an orange wedge or pecan halves for the toy. In fact, before plastic babies, bakers added dried peas, pecans, beans, coins, and other small trinkets to the cake to bestow wealth and luck — and to decide the Mardi Gras king and queen. 

Advertisement

4 of 12

King Cake

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A traditional sweet bread with a cream-cheese filling. All hail the king cake's reign of yum!

5 of 12

King Cake in a Bread Machine

Christina
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Here's a non-traditional way to make a very traditional cake. Use your bread machine to mix and knead the dough. Fill the dough with a buttery cinnamon-pecan filling.

6 of 12

Buttermilk King Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Josephine Roeper
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

"Not too sweet, not too bready, with a rich, tender crumb and the traditional lemon/nutmeg flavors of a genuine NOLA king cake. Great with coffee. Best eaten same day but pretty darn good the day after. Enjoy, y'all!" —mississippimarion

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Super Easy Mardi Gras King Cake

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

King cake on the quick! Prepared sweet-roll dough and colorful frostings speed up the cake-making process. "Beads, additional plastic babies, curly ribbon, and other festive trinkets can be used to decorate the cake." —BUDDHAFULDREAMER

8 of 12

Galette des Rois

Neil Padgett
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In France, Galette des Rois (translation: king cake) is baked during the pre-Lenten season. The tradition behind this dessert includes hiding a bean or fève (a small trinket) in the cake, recipe creator ULYBERT explains: "The person who finds the fève in his or her slice becomes king or queen for the day."

9 of 12

Slim Fit King Cake

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This colorful king cake has less sugar than the traditional cake and calls for reduced fat margarine instead of butter. Banana and pineapple give the cream-cheese filling a fun, fruity twist.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

King Cake Cupcakes

Allrecipes Magazine
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Vanilla, nutmeg, lemon, and buttermilk flavor these cupcakes, which take less time to bake than king cake. 

11 of 12

Mardi Gras King Cake

Mardi Gras King Cake
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

"Better than bakeries! Living and eating in New Orleans for my entire life I was a bit skeptical if I could actually pull off a king cake," writes New Orleans local and home cook Laur5270, who recommends omitting the raisins to make the recipe more traditional.

12 of 12

The Best Cream Cheese King Cake

Smart Cookie
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

With sour cream baked into the dough, a praline-cream cheese filling, and a creamy vanilla glaze, this king cake tastes extra decadent.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.allrecipes.com/