01/02/2024
It is hard to believe it is King Cake season again!
It is OFFICIALLY King Cake Season and QUICKLY GOING BY (King Cakes end Feb 21st!!), and I am super EXCITED about it this year. I have spent time truly researching the different flavors available in New Orleans and am bringing some of those flavors here for Local Enjoyment!
King Cake season will begin on Epiphany (January 6th) and will be available for order until Fat Tuesday (February 13th). For more information on the history of King Cakes, please read the history, which can be found below the flavor lists!
Please text 217-358-3239 to place an order!
We will also be offering the following sizes:
Individual (does NOT come with a baby inside) $3.50/$5
Small (feeds 4-6) $15/$18
Medium (feeds 8-10) $25/$30
Large (feeds 15-20) $35/$45
Specialty King Cake Flavors (topping is as listed and may not have the colorful sprinkles. All king cakes come with a baby inside, a mask, and beads). :
Red Velvet- Filled with Cream Cheese and Red Velvet Crumble. Topped with Red Velvet Crumble and Chocolate Chips
German Chocolate-Filled with Chocolate, Pecan, Coconut. Topped with German Chocolate Icing and Pecan
Brownie- Filled with Cream Cheese and Brownies. Topped with Brownies.
The Elvis- Filled with banana and Peanut Butter. Topped with Peanut Butter Glaze, Roasted Peanuts, and Chocolate Chips.
Mississippi Mudd- Filled with Chocolate, Cream Cheese, Oreos, and Pecan. Topped with Glaze, Marshmallow, Oreo, and Pecans.
Maple Bacon. Filled with Cinnamon Sugars, Maple Syrup, and Bacon. Topped with Maple Icing.
Black Forest- Filled with Chocolate, Cream Cheese, and cherry. Topped with Chocolate Glaze and Cherries.
Banana Fosters- Filled with Banana, Cream Cheese, and Walnuts. Topped with a Rum Glaze, Caramel, and Walnuts.
Regular King Cake Flavors (all come with Lemon Glaze, colorful sprinkles, a baby inside, a mask, and beads):
-Apples & Cinnamon
-Blueberries N Cream
-Cherries N Cream
-Chocolate N Cream (Vanilla Glazed)
-Classic Cinnamon Sugar
-Cream Cheese
-Lemon
-Lemon Berry
-Pecan
-Raspberry N Cream
-Strawberry N Cream
-Triple Berry
History of King Cakes:
The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th or the "Twelfth Night," also known to Christians as the "Epiphany." Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means "to show." Jesus first showed himself to the three wisemen and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake.
The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870. A King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy, crossed between a coffee cake and a French pastry that is as rich in history as it is in flavor. It's decorated in royal colors of PURPLE which signifies "Justice," GREEN for "Faith," and GOLD for "Power." These colors were chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany. In the past such things as coins, beans, pecans, or peas were also hidden in each King Cake.
Today, a tiny plastic baby is the common prize. At a party, the King Cake is sliced and served. Each person looks to see if their piece contains the "baby." 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.
Mardi Gras Day has a moveable date and may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, and always falls 46 days before Easter.
FAT TUESDAY
The last day of Carnival and the day before Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday is the intertwining of a period of festivals and feasts that lead to a time of fasting and reflection. Also known as Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras, this enduring celebration has many traditions and deep roots around the
World.
Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) dates back to an ancient Roman festival honoring the deities Lupercalia and Saturnalia which took place in mid-February. When Christians arrived in Rome, they incorporated the festival into Lenten preparations.
For centuries, this solemn feast prepared Christians for the season of Lent and used up valuable meat and supplies they would be abstaining from in the days to come. Traditions surrounding the day have changed through the ages. Through time and culture, the practices of Lent and Carnival, Mardi Gras, and Shrove Tuesday have varied and become incorporated into regional customs.
In the United Kingdom, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day. Pancakes are the perfect menu item when the future includes abstaining from fats, eggs, and sweets! In Russia, they celebrate the entire week during Shrovetide as Pancake Week.
Carnival & Mardi Gras
While the French didn’t originate the medieval feast, they did put their stamp on it. From parades to beignets and colorful masks, the last day of Carnival is full of elaborate costumes and lavish food sure to hold the revelers over through a long fast. During the 16th century, their ancestors celebrated Boeuf Gras (fatted calf), which included parading a bull decorated with flowers through the city. The decorated animal is followed through the streets by a retinue of colorfully dressed attendants and bands playing unusual instruments. There was even a Boeuf Gras Society in Mobile, Alabama, at one time.
New Orleans holds the crown for Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States. While the city is filled with French flavor and style, its culture is an eclectic infusion of many cultures. Colorful King Cake and thick, savory muffuletta sandwiches only suggest the indulgence possible on Fat Tuesday. Regional specialties like Etouffee, Po’boys, and jambalaya all add to the atmosphere of the day.
FAT TUESDAY HISTORY
The roots of the celebration have been woven together for centuries from medieval spring festivals and feasts that were based on the Christian calendar. Fat Tuesday is celebrated around the world in its various forms all of which harken back to these roots of spring festivals and religious fasting in preparation for the Holy day of Easter.
Credit for bringing Mardi Gras to America goes to French explorers Pierre Le Moyne Sieur d’Iberville and Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville. In 1699, d’Iberville reached the mouth of the river on Shrove Tuesday near what is now Louisiana and named it Pointe du Mardi Gras.
Thanks to their establishment of Fort Louis de la Mobile, modern-day Mobile, Alabama lays claim to the first Mardi Gras celebration on American soil in 1703.
When de Bienville established Nouvelle Orleans in 1788, Mardi Gras celebrations reportedly began immediately. In 1875, Louisiana declared Fat Tuesday an official holiday.
Fat Tuesday FAQ
Q. Why do people wear masks for Mardi Gras?
A. The masks add a bit of mystery to the occasion but in the early days of Carnival, the masks allowed classes to mingle without fear of tarnishing their reputation.
Q. What is a King cake?
A. King cake can be served from the last day of Epiphany (January 6) to the day before Ash Wednesday (Fat Tuesday). A small toy baby is baked into the coffee cake-like pastry. It is decorated with yellow, purple and green frosting. The cake may also be filled with fruits, pastry cream, or cream cheese. Whoever gets the slice with the baby gets to bake the cake for the next Mardi Gras.
