The History of the King Cake (2024)

FAQs

What is the history behind the king cake? ›

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the 12th century. These early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the Feast of the epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King's Day.

The plastic baby symbolizes the infant Jesus because of the religious connection to King's Day. Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake piece symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening. The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake.

Something like king cake is available year round, but those faithful to New Orleans tradition know it only has its cultural significance during Carnival season. That season will fly by this year, between the kick off on Jan. 6 and Fat Tuesday bringing down the curtain on Feb. 13.

Remember, finding the baby inside the king cake not only makes you a “king,” but it also comes with some responsibilities. If you are so fortunate to find the baby in your slice of cake, you will be responsible for hosting the next Mardi Gras celebration and providing the next king cake!

The history of the king cake came from European and Roman Catholic roots, which made its way into the New Orleans area in the 1870s. In contrast to the French king cakes, which are a flaky puff pastry, the New Orleans style is similar to the Spanish tradition, which is oval-shaped and topped with icing.

In pagan times, the return of the sun during the winter solstice was celebrated with festivities during which any man could become the “sacred king” of a tribe for the year if he found the bean in his slice of cake during the celebration.

Traditionally, a small porcelain baby, symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of Louisiana to celebrate their Christian faith. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it.

In New Orleans, king cakes are baked with a tiny plastic baby inside. The figurine represents good luck. Whoever finds it in their slice of cake gets to throw next year's Mardi Gras bash! In some celebrations, finding the Mardi Gras baby also means you'll be crowned king or queen for the day.

Roscas come with sugar and colorful candies on top. The Rosca holds plastic baby Jesus toys inside and whomever gets a baby Jesus in their slice, is responsible to host a dinner and/or serve tamales on February 2nd, Candlemas day.

King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside king cakes today is a nod to this story.)

When should I stop eating king cake? ›

King cake season winds down around February 28th, the last day of the month, because that is when Mardi Gras ends. This is also why king cakes are colored green, purple, and gold: to symbolize the colors of Mardi Gras. However, king cakes in New Orleans tend to start disappearing around Fat Tuesday.

after every time it was used, the amount of water usage would put the habitat. of these endangered pelicans at risk. So by keeping the knife in the box, you're not only keeping your king cake fresh. and cutting back on your portion size, but you're also saving the lives of these pelicans.

There are plenty of king cakes sold without a baby inside

“Each person then looks to see if their piece contains the hidden item. If so, then that person is named 'King' for a day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake.”

Though baking a plastic baby in a cake sounds like a melted mess just waiting to happen, Sproles said that's not an issue. "It doesn't get hot enough to melt it. Plus, they're designed to [be cooked]. We've tested them, too," he said.

The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras -- and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses.

Much of Latin America also celebrates by eating the popular “Three Kings Bread,” or Rosca de Reyes. (Bonus: it's served with Mexican hot chocolate!) The bejeweled-looking bread is meant to symbolize the gifts given to baby Jesus, and inside the bread is a little plastic baby, symbolizing the newborn messiah.

In other Christmas birthday cake traditions, the cake is typically white to signify the purity of Jesus. The frosting is red to signify the blood of Jesus shed for the world, while a single candle represents not only the star of Bethlehem but the fact that Christ brought light to the world.