King Cake

hawkilady

completely just sabotaged my diet today... isn't it too earlier for Mardi Gras related desserts??  We get at least 5 of these sent to the office every year since we own a track in New Orleans.

For some reason, even though its essentially a cinnamon roll with semi-crappy frosting and unnatural colors, its still too hard to resist.

mamie329

As a Northeast gal, I've only heard of this in maybe the past two years. I'm sad I've never had the opportunity to have it!

Leigha12

I always learned the King's cake to be part of the Epiphany, not Mardi Gras. But apparently it's used as both, but during the Epiphany, there are items baked in. Either way, it's too early for Mardi Gras and too late for Epiphany!

Wait....we're kinda smack dab in the middle of the two....

keb270

Pizza ruined my diet today. I had a nice lean cuisine to eat but no, I had to participate in the going away party. Ugh.

hawkilady

I always thought they were for Mardi Gras but I don't know for sure.  There is always a little plastic baby baked in which is supposedly for good luck.  Unless I decide I need another piece (I will not let that happen), I'm not getting the baby this year.

megs1383

haah I feel ya about ruining the diet. I went to MacDonalds today ? it seemed like a good idea at the time b/c i was in a hurry, but now i feel like death.

Also a North-Easterner, have never had king cake. But I find any cake hard to resist.

stephriz

hawkilady:

For some reason, even though its essentially a cinnamon roll with semi-crappy frosting and unnatural colors, its still too hard to resist.

I'm not sure any frosting counts as semi-crappy in my book.

just dandy.

Mardi Gras season starts the 12th night after Christmas (1/6 this year).  So yeah, it is def. mardi gras season! Actual Mardi Gras day is 2/16.

Where do you king cakes come from, hawki?  Gambino's? Those are amaaaazing.

 

 

Leigha12

just dandy.:

Mardi Gras season starts the 12th night after Christmas (1/6 this year).  So yeah, it is def. mardi gras season! Actual Mardi Gras day is 2/16.

I didn't know that! That's the day of the Epiphany, or as I learned it in school, Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos (Day of the 3 wise kings). So it essentially the same thing it seems.

ETA: What I didn't know was that Mardi Gras was a season, I always thought it was just the one day.

LarkNow

I grew up in Chicago and we had king cake one year in school.  I was not the king.

just dandy.

haha it is most definitely a season! As soon as Christmas is over your Wal Marts might start stocking up on V-Day stuff... our is full of beads.  And king cakes.

hawkilady

I didnt know Mardi Gras was really a season either... I always thought it was a week in February.  Interesting...

I'm not sure where the King Cakes come from but its not Gambinos.  I would recognize the name if you said it but can't come up with it since the box is gone.  I want to say it starts with a K...