View full sizeAccording to tradition, King Cakes are only produced from Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) through Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras Day). Its name is derived from the three kings who visited the baby Jesus, and they are the favorite of office parties and social gatherings during that time. (Associated Press)
The Mardi Gras season is made up of several disparate parts, offering something for just about everybody.
For me, the best part is a very sweet, very tasty cake that appears only during the Carnival season. King Cakes are the region's signature Carnival confection, and are, without a doubt, one of its best traditions.
According to tradition, King Cakes are only produced from Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) through Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras Day). Its name is derived from the three kings who visited the baby Jesus, and they are the favorite of office parties and social gatherings during that time.
A tiny plastic baby or other gee-gaw is hidden inside the cake, and, according to tradition, the finder of said baby is required to supply the cake for the next gathering. It’s all in great fun, but just be sure all your guests are aware that there is something inedible hidden inside.
The King Cake tradition was begun in New Orleans, and, by most accounts, the King Cake didn't appear as a part of Mobile's Mardi Gras celebration until 1959 when Fred Pollman brought it back from the Crescent City.
It's been a fixture ever since, and its popularity shows no signs of waning.
A number of local bakeries produce excellent King Cakes, and while the basic recipe is pretty much standard — an oval, brioche-type cake festooned with purple, gold and green sugars — the finished products often vary wildly.
You can buy them filled with a host of sweet, fruity fillings or with a cream cheese concoction. Some purists prefer them unfilled and minimal.
I prefer a cream cheese filling, and my preferred time for eating them is after a parade and before a visit to the Waffle House. You don’t mess with tradition.
But we want to find out where you buy your King Cakes. Who, in your opinion, makes the best one in town?
Send me you favorite bakery or other outlet for King Cakes and I will compile the results for an online survey. It ought to be a lot of fun, and, for me at least, a tasty way to start off Carnival 2012.
Send me your nominations via email at dholloway@press-register.com; call me at my King Cake hotline, 251-219-5682; leave a message on my Facebook page, David Holloway's BayFlavor; or find me on Twitter, @eatingdude.
We will compile a list and then you can vote online at al.com. The winner will be announced in the days leading up to Fat Tuesday.
Like I said, it ought to be a lot of fun.
In the meantime, you can make your own King Cake at home while you do your research. They are relatively labor intensive and require several steps but are well worth the effort.
The editors of Southern Living Magazine published this tried and true recipe at least 10 years ago.
So get busy. Find me some King Cakes and hurry. We only have about two months for research.
King Cake
Makes 2 cakes
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 eggs
6½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup white sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
Colored Frostings (see below)
Colored Sugars (see below)
Cook first four ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to between 100 and 110 degrees.
Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in ½ cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth.
Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Stir together ½ cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn one portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle.
Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of colored frostings, and sprinkle with colored sugars.
Colored Frostings
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops green food color
2 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops blue food coloring
2 drops red food color
Stir together powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla.
Divide frosting into three batches, tinting one green, one yellow, and combining red and blue food coloring for purple frosting.
Colored Sugars
1½ cups white sugar, divided
2 drops green food color
2 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food color
2 drops blue food coloring
Place ½ cup sugar and green food coloring in a jar or zip-top plastic bag; seal.
Shake vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar. Repeat procedure with ½ cup sugar and yellow food coloring.
For purple, combine red and blue food coloring before adding to remaining ½ cup sugar.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
