Resolutions of giving up refined sugar for the new year all goes out the window on January 6th, the Twelfth Night after Christmas. That's the day our Carnival season officially begins, which means King Cake will now be plentiful and available through Mardi Gras Day.
Once you come to love this special seasonal treat, it's hard to think there's only 54 days of year you can enjoy it! With such a limited window of time, how can we try them all? Everyone in our Tchoup shop voted on their favorites to help whittle down the list - see results below. If you live elsewhere in the country, keep in mind that some of the best New Orleans bakeries are willing to deliver!
Tastee McKenzie's
The beloved McKenzie’s bakery closed long ago, and many New Orleanians swear by it’s original king cake recipes as the taste of Carnival. Now this classic king cake can be found at area Tastee Donuts where chef John Folse keeps the tradition alive.
Shake Sugary
Much newer to the New Orleans' Carnival scene, the Bywater bakery Shake Sugary provides alternative vegan and gluten free options and a handful of very unique flavor and filling options. Our favorites are the Chocolate Chip Pecan and Banana Nutella.
Laurel Street Bakery
Laurel Street Bakery makes a braided and unfilled cinnamon style king cake topped with a drizzle of white icing and dusted with sugar. Baker Hillary Guttman makes everything from scratch, even coloring her own granulated sugar. It's easy for us to get behind sweet treats made from scratch by fellow talented women!
Dong Phuong
Many New Orleanians make the 20 mile pilgrimage to this Vietnamese bakery Dong Phuong in New Orleans East for their horse shoe shaped king cake. This one is a light cake with crispy edges and a tender inside. It comes in a variety of flavors, is there time to try them all??
Rocket Girl Treats
Just this morning we gathered around our shop table and enjoyed Rocket Girl Treats' vegan gluten free King Cake Donuts from our corner coffee shop Hi Volt. Although we only enjoyed the donut form, you can also order full king cakes directly from Rocket Girl Treats' Facebook page. I also really appreciate their golden baby option.
Rouse's Market
Our local grocery chain bakes king cakes at several locations around town making this one of the most convenient bakery options. Even though other options seem much more glamorous, I probably see the Rouse's version at Mardi Gras parties more than any others. Their website touts that they will be making and decorating nearly 400,000 king cakes this Carnival season - making them the most eaten along the Gulf Coast!
Which king cakes are on your list this Carnival Season??
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