The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday,
the day before Ash Wednesday. During this time of year, one of the most
beloved traditions in New Orleans is that of the King Cake.
On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as
"Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing
Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
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The New Orleans tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European
customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake
an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a
King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the
traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents
faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus,
is baked into each cake.
In New Orleans, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season.
In offices, classrooms, and homes throughout the city, King Cakes are sliced
and enjoyed by all. Like the biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds
excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will
be discovered. While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in
their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also
traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or
gathering.
The traditional King Cake is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough,
topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar.
Today, many additional varieties of King Cake are also available, with
fillings such as cream cheese, strawberry, apple, and lemon.
3/4 cup of sugar, separated into 3 parts of 1/4 each
food coloring
Separate the cinnamon rolls and roll them out by hand so that they look like a hot dog. Shape the roll into an oval, pinch the ends together, and place on a cookie sheet. Cook as directed.
While they are cooking, use food coloring to dye sugar. Make one part purple using blue and red, one part green, and one part gold using yellow. When they are finished cooking, ice the tops with the white icing. Sprinkle the different colors of sugars alternating as you go around the oval. Enjoy!
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Comments
Queen Cake from Arkansas, US
16:09 11/17/2009
We had king cake for our French class Mardi Gras banquet and it was delicious! C'est magnifique!
Allen from Louisiana, US
21:33 11/08/2009
king cakes are the best can't wait for mardi gras
Cliff from California, US
22:12 06/08/2009
I took one of your King Cakes to our RCIA meeting last year. I told them some of the history of King Cakes and that the one they were eating was a real one, flown in from New O. in LA the day before. The cake was a HUGE hit with the group. I plan on doing that again this coming year.
French Student from Minnesota, US
08:06 05/22/2009
I loved this cake it tasted so good i would recommend it to anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO FRANCE.
keshon larce from Ohio, US
17:31 05/03/2009
hi my name is keshon larce from New Orleans i love king cakes it's the best
jasmine from Maryland, US
12:06 02/26/2009
king cake is yummie in my tummie!! 8-D 8-D 8-D 8-D 8-D
antanea goldsmith
14:58 02/24/2009
hi love this cake it is so good
Hawa Abdulrazaq from Nigeria
08:16 02/24/2009
can u please tell me the meanin of kings cakes msrdi gras.
Laquinta from Georgia, US
13:45 02/23/2009
I am originally from New Orleans and I am make this for my family as a treat. It is not what I am use to but it sounds good enough.
Monica from California, US
12:54 02/23/2009
I'm making this cake tonight for tomorrow's celebration. Would like to know WHERE to get a baby Jesus and WHEN do you put it in the cake? Do you do it after the cake cools? If so, how do you place it without the point of entry being seen? Thanks!
On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as
"Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing
Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
