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Cake: King Cake
Appears in
Published 2004
King cake is served in the Gulf Coast region of the United States as part of the pre-Lenten celebrations that commence upon the Feast of the Epiphany (Twelfth Night) and continue until Mardi Gras. Though king cakes vary by region, the most common kind of king cake is a ring-shaped brioche cake with sugary icing, often colored purple, green, and gold (the colors of Mardi Gras). The cakes often have fillings of cinnamon, fruit, cream cheese, praline, or even chocolate.
The tradition of the king cake arose from Catholic cultures in Europe. In celebration of Twelfth Night, families would share a cake into which a bean had been baked. The person who found the bean was made King or Queen for the day, the finding of the bean commemorating the Wise Men discovering the baby Jesus. Colonists from France and Spain brought the tradition of the Twelfth Night cake to America, and the bean was soon replaced with other trinkets, including coins, amulets, and porcelain babies.