King Cakes. Every holiday seems to have an edible representative. Are you skeptical of their bold and flashy coating, writing them off as a flavorless sugar bomb ? Be careful, if you’re the type who can’t pass by Cinnabon in the mall without giving in, you’ve got “king cake” written all over you. The braided, oval brioche with its tri-colored, tinted toppings and white icing is very similar to a super sized cinnamon roll. If you’ve ever gotten one fresh from the bakery, you understand the addiction. If you haven’t indulged in one by now, you probably shouldn’t tempt yourself. Kinda like color TV or air-conditioning for the first time.

With anything food related, a New Orleanian will tell you where to find the absolute best, and king cakes are no exception. Before you even finish asking them who makes the best king cake, they will tell you the name of the bakery and directions to get there. If you ask another local, you’ll probably get a different answer. If you ask 100 different times, you’ll have a pretty solid Top 5 List. The next time you’re in New Orleans, if you want to go around and ask everyone, that’s great. You’ll find it to be a very effective conversation starter. But, if you don’t want to spend your limited time there surveying locals, don’t worry, we have your list right here, baby.

What’s with the pink plastic baby anyway? Like everything about Mardi Gras, it started a long, long time ago in a faraway land. The cakes were baked with a hidden coin or a bean inside them, and the person who got that piece was granted certain privileges or was obligated to do something. In New Orleans, at some point that bean became a handmade, hand painted porcelain figure. Today the babies are plastic, Made in China and our litigious society obligates the bakeries to package them separately with visible warning labels.

Of course, nothing can be said of king cakes today, unless we mention the patriarch of pastries past. McKenzie’s. Old-timers and purists will tell you there is no other. (When it comes to food down here, it’s best not to argue. As with politics and religion, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and taste in food is highly subjective.) There was a point in time when McKenzie’s was the most popular game in town. It seemed as if they had bakeries on every corner, like Starbucks in other parts of the country. You’ll find coffee to be a very sensitive topic down here, too. So, around 2000ish, the family that owned this chain of bakeries decided it was time to stop making the doughnuts. There was literally public uproar, outrage, and panic; off the record, possibly even a hissy-fit or two. A few years later, another local doughnut shop, Tastee Donuts, bought the original recipe from McKenzie’s to sell the cakes in their stores. The McKenzie king cake has a notably drier crumb and is less sweet than its contemporaries and it lacks icing. It does however, recall sentimental memories with each bite if you ever had one many moons ago.

Can’t make it to town this king cake season ? Not a problem, these bakeries had it down to a science before they ever had a webpage. The cakes arrive 2-3 days after you place your order and usually include a little “lagniappe”; some extra goodies like beads and doubloons to throw around the office or at home. Some bakeries even ship their freshly baked king cakes year round.

Top 5 king cakes & tasting notes

The Gambino’s cake arrives a little naked looking. You have to ice and sugar it yourself, but this serves to keep the toppings from sticking to the inside of the bag it comes in. Well-balanced amount of cinnamon, very moist, and uses a crystal-like colored sugar topping that doesn’t absorb the moisture from the cake as readily as other sugars do. Gambino’s also stands out with their filled cakes in that they aren’t overflowing with filling. For orders, they offer one size in non-filled, 1 filling, and 2 fillings, and there are 11 fillings to choose from. They also offer 3 different packages of Mardi Gras goodies to supplement your out-of-town king cake party. Prices range from $39-$74, with a $5 FedEx surcharge.

The Haydel’s cake is nicely moist and dense, buttery-rich with a hint of citrus. They use a slightly harder, or drier icing, that doesn’t stick to the bag as readily. For orders, they offer one size of the traditional-unfilled and 3 choices for filled versions. You should also try their Cajun Kringle, basically a king cake with a pecan praline and caramel love thing going on. Every year Haydel’s commissions a limited number of collectible porcelain figures to send with their orders. Prices with UPS shipping range from $39-$43.

When someone says they like the Randazzo’s king cake, they may be talking about one of three independent bakeries. Family disputes, flooding from Katrina and other events are to blame, but those are insignificant once you try one. There’s a reason the Randazzo name is mentioned so often when it comes to king cakes. Which one should you choose ? It wouldn’t be a Fat Tuesday if you didn’t try them all.

The buttery richness, cinnamon spice, and subtle citrus notes define the Randazzo flavor profile. The right amount of fluff, the right amount of stretch, and moist enough to taste freshly baked after several days. For orders there’s one size, with a choice of traditional or pick from 5 fillings. For the indulgent, try Manny’s four flavor filled Royal version. Prices with UPS shipping range from $41-$47, though some delivery areas may be extra.

Great Randazzo flavor, moist, very generous with the icing and fillings. The Camellia City Randazzo’s have an extensive “ala carte” menu for Mardi Gras supplies to make your next office party feel like the real thing. For orders, you can choose from two sizes for a traditional cake, or one of three filled flavors in medium They also make an unfilled, fleur-de-lis shaped king cake. Prices with DHL shipping range from $33-$49.

Nonna’s cake has a slightly more delicate texture, with a little less icing, than other Randazzo cakes. It does share the characteristic flavor and moistness. For orders they offer 3 sizes of traditional, unfilled cakes, and the medium size is available with 3 choices of filling. Prices with shipping range from $36-$50.
formerly Randazzo's Goodchildren Bakery http://www.kingcakeexpress.com

**Prices do reflect the higher cost of expedited shipping, so don’t be surprised to pay less if you pick one up from the bakery. Due to the high demand towards the end of “king cake season”, it is highly recommended to call ahead of time and reserve one.