Ah, The king cake, that oh-so-delicious traditional Gulf Coast Carnival pastry. Braided, ring-shaped cake laced with cinnamon, covered in icing and purple, green and gold sugar, with a plastic baby hidden inside. Or, wait... That's a king cake, right? There's definitely a split between traditionalists and their humble brioche, and the crazy kids and their dang king cakes stuffed with banana, peanut butter, bacon, and marshmallow these day. Whatever camp you're in, Eater presents
This week we welcome five new additions to our sweetest Carnival map, Where to Get King Cake for Purists and Progressives. Coming onto the list this week are Hi-Do Bakery, Ralph's on the Park, La Divina, Shake Sugary, and The Sweet Life.
Still don't see your favorite on the list? Tell us why it deserves to be on the map in the comments section or send us an email, and we'll update the map all Carnival long.
The sweets boutique on Magazine Street (and also in Lakeside Mall) not only has king cakes with shiny, almost airbrushed-looking icing over buttery pastry filled with cream cheese, they also sell king cake macarons for Carnival too.
Pastry chef Lisa White's king cake is massive, filled with salted caramel,bananas, roasted pecans, mascarpone cheese, caramello and covered in praline glaze with edible gold flecks. A bean is used, rather than a baby. Each cake costs $35, and can be picked up or even delivered within the CBD area. Order online.
This Metairie favorite has flavors ranging from classic to cray cray: plain, cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, goat cheese and apple, and Nutella. Also available for delivery. Order online or by phone.
Oh, yes they do have king cakes, and in mini sizes perfect for two bacon friends to share. Pastry Chef Rhonda Ruckman makes fillings ranging from chocolate and peanut butter, lemon doberge, apple + creole cream cheese, to the almight Elvis king cake filled with bananas, peanut butter, bacon, and topped with toasted marshmallow. Each cake includes a baby piggy.
In terms of King Cake, the ubiquitous Rouse's version is at least a faithful stand by. They come in large, or gigantic, with fillings or not. A friend of Eater says they tried an in-store sample of what they were told was 'Barbarian Cream' last Carnival season, which unfortunately won't be returning this year.
Making 'la galette de rois' for Carnival is a French tradition at this Uptown bakery. The cake is made from layers of puff pastry with an almond cream center. Their New Orleans style King Cakes come with a range of fillings like raspberry and chocolate.
Cake Cafe is known for their signature apple and goat cheese filling, though you can also get other fruit varieties or unfilled king cakes that all come with icing that's not overbearing, but rather daintily painted on in stripes.
For the purist, Haydel’s king cake has a cinnamon-infused Danish dough and lighter icing.Plus, the bakery holds the Guinness World Record for the largest king cake ever made, which stretched around the Super Dome two times back in 2010.
The traditional king cakes at this Central City location of Adrian's range from extra small to large, with a variety of fillings available too. Medium king cakes cost about $16, with fillings a buck or two more.
This often overlooked Uptown bakery and lunch gem has Brioche King Cakes, including mini versions, with flavors such as cinnamon, cinnamon and almond cream, and cinnamon and almond cream with apple compote.
While the McKenzie's Bakery is no longer around, their old school traditional king cake is found at Tastees around NOLA, including the Harrison Ave location. These king cakes aren't too toothrottingly sweet, so if you have kids...
For many a New Orleanian, there is only one king cake that matters, and it's Randazzo's braided, traditional version. Which is probably why a line stretches out of the building during Carnival time. There are also flavors like Pecan Praline and the Royal, which includes a little bit of everything, dawlin.
Badabing, it's a king cake. The bakery's signature item ships around the globe, with fillings a plenty (hmm, pineapple?) or not, and they even toss in some doubloons, beads, and a poster if you're willing to spend upwards of sixty bucks.
i-Do Bakery in Terrytown has a nice plain brioche-style version - similar to the McKenzies version of old but with a tiny bit of cinnamon (I can't stand cinnamon and I love theirs- so for the other cinnamon-haters out there who are tired of being given glorified giant cinnamon rolls in place of real king cakes, this is definitely an option to consider.) The Hi-Do king cakes also don't have the sickeningly disgusting white gunk on them... so if you like fillings but not cinnamon and white icing, those might be worth a try.
La Divina has mini king cakes (big enough for one person) including a classic version and Nutella flavored. Large cakes cost $15 or $20 for fillings...including Nutella , almond raspberry frangipane, and cannoli cream...and must be ordered 40 hours in advance.
Ralph's on the Park has a mini king cake designed to feed two. The brioche-style King Cake is flavored with cinnamon and topped with a white chocolate sugar glaze, served with Louisiana Strawberry Preserves and Cream Cheese Icing on the side.
The awesome little bakery on St. Claude, that's only open Sat-Sun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. has traditional king cakes and filled: banana nutella, orange pecan, and praline. They also have vegan options, including filled versions like apple spice.
Available daily: Traditional flavor, cream cheese, and "an almond king cake that is awesome," raves a fan. There are other flavors available with 24 hours notice, and they ship cakes too.
The sweets boutique on Magazine Street (and also in Lakeside Mall) not only has king cakes with shiny, almost airbrushed-looking icing over buttery pastry filled with cream cheese, they also sell king cake macarons for Carnival too.
Pastry chef Lisa White's king cake is massive, filled with salted caramel,bananas, roasted pecans, mascarpone cheese, caramello and covered in praline glaze with edible gold flecks. A bean is used, rather than a baby. Each cake costs $35, and can be picked up or even delivered within the CBD area. Order online.
This Metairie favorite has flavors ranging from classic to cray cray: plain, cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, goat cheese and apple, and Nutella. Also available for delivery. Order online or by phone.
Oh, yes they do have king cakes, and in mini sizes perfect for two bacon friends to share. Pastry Chef Rhonda Ruckman makes fillings ranging from chocolate and peanut butter, lemon doberge, apple + creole cream cheese, to the almight Elvis king cake filled with bananas, peanut butter, bacon, and topped with toasted marshmallow. Each cake includes a baby piggy.
In terms of King Cake, the ubiquitous Rouse's version is at least a faithful stand by. They come in large, or gigantic, with fillings or not. A friend of Eater says they tried an in-store sample of what they were told was 'Barbarian Cream' last Carnival season, which unfortunately won't be returning this year.
Making 'la galette de rois' for Carnival is a French tradition at this Uptown bakery. The cake is made from layers of puff pastry with an almond cream center. Their New Orleans style King Cakes come with a range of fillings like raspberry and chocolate.
Cake Cafe is known for their signature apple and goat cheese filling, though you can also get other fruit varieties or unfilled king cakes that all come with icing that's not overbearing, but rather daintily painted on in stripes.
For the purist, Haydel’s king cake has a cinnamon-infused Danish dough and lighter icing.Plus, the bakery holds the Guinness World Record for the largest king cake ever made, which stretched around the Super Dome two times back in 2010.
The traditional king cakes at this Central City location of Adrian's range from extra small to large, with a variety of fillings available too. Medium king cakes cost about $16, with fillings a buck or two more.
This often overlooked Uptown bakery and lunch gem has Brioche King Cakes, including mini versions, with flavors such as cinnamon, cinnamon and almond cream, and cinnamon and almond cream with apple compote.
While the McKenzie's Bakery is no longer around, their old school traditional king cake is found at Tastees around NOLA, including the Harrison Ave location. These king cakes aren't too toothrottingly sweet, so if you have kids...
For many a New Orleanian, there is only one king cake that matters, and it's Randazzo's braided, traditional version. Which is probably why a line stretches out of the building during Carnival time. There are also flavors like Pecan Praline and the Royal, which includes a little bit of everything, dawlin.
Badabing, it's a king cake. The bakery's signature item ships around the globe, with fillings a plenty (hmm, pineapple?) or not, and they even toss in some doubloons, beads, and a poster if you're willing to spend upwards of sixty bucks.
i-Do Bakery in Terrytown has a nice plain brioche-style version - similar to the McKenzies version of old but with a tiny bit of cinnamon (I can't stand cinnamon and I love theirs- so for the other cinnamon-haters out there who are tired of being given glorified giant cinnamon rolls in place of real king cakes, this is definitely an option to consider.) The Hi-Do king cakes also don't have the sickeningly disgusting white gunk on them... so if you like fillings but not cinnamon and white icing, those might be worth a try.
La Divina has mini king cakes (big enough for one person) including a classic version and Nutella flavored. Large cakes cost $15 or $20 for fillings...including Nutella , almond raspberry frangipane, and cannoli cream...and must be ordered 40 hours in advance.
Ralph's on the Park has a mini king cake designed to feed two. The brioche-style King Cake is flavored with cinnamon and topped with a white chocolate sugar glaze, served with Louisiana Strawberry Preserves and Cream Cheese Icing on the side.
The awesome little bakery on St. Claude, that's only open Sat-Sun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. has traditional king cakes and filled: banana nutella, orange pecan, and praline. They also have vegan options, including filled versions like apple spice.
Available daily: Traditional flavor, cream cheese, and "an almond king cake that is awesome," raves a fan. There are other flavors available with 24 hours notice, and they ship cakes too.
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