Can Somebody Help This Poor Girl: King Cake Edition

Posted on February 23rd, 2009 2:08pm by Sarah Eveans
Filed under Silly Reasons to Celebrate, Special Offers

Just back from lunch, and this girl asked a questions I’ve been wondering myself:

Where can I find some authentic King Cake in Dallas?! I want one that has a trinket inside (usually the Baby Jesus)!! Please help! :) I know La Madeleine has some but I’ve never tried theirs!! Is it good?

Yes Dishers, she likes exclamation points, but to me, it just shows a sweet enthusiasm for Fat Tuesday. Can we help her? I’ve tried Whole Food’s King Cake, and it was delish. Not sure about the baby Jesus though.

16 comments

  1. Whole Foods makes a great one.

    @ 2:13 pm on February 23, 2009

  2. I think I’d try Central Market and Stein’s Bakery (yum)

    @ 2:18 pm on February 23, 2009

  3. Whole Foods and you have to add the Baby Jesus your self…

    Lawsuits and all if you swallow it…

    @ 2:31 pm on February 23, 2009

  4. fiesta makes a GREAT traditional king cake, baby included. theirs is more authentic, being from a “mexican-style” bakery.

    @ 4:51 pm on February 23, 2009

  5. @m is King Cake a Mexican tradition? I must have mised that during all my carnival seasons.

    @ 4:58 pm on February 23, 2009

  6. Got one at Kroger for $2. Tasted like crap, but a plastic baby right on top!

    @ 5:39 pm on February 23, 2009

  7. haha thanks for the tips!! :) I’m gonna check out Whole Foods or trek over to Fiesta! Happy Mardi Gras!

    @ 6:03 pm on February 23, 2009

  8. They are baking plenty at Central Market on Lovers Ln. They are delicious and beautiful too! Sample and try some, there is always a “foodie” around to help you. Enjoy!

    @ 6:27 pm on February 23, 2009

  9. My momma is born and bred New Orleans and I have never ever heard of the baby in the King Cake referred to as baby Jesus. It was always an anonymous baby with no religious affiliation. It’s too late to get Gambino’s to ship one to you before Lent but Whole Foods’ cake is pretty dang good.

    @ 7:32 pm on February 23, 2009

  10. DGirl… that made me laugh about the Baby Jesus.

    @ 10:07 am on February 24, 2009

  11. not a mexican tradition, but a great mexican cake

    @ 3:19 pm on February 24, 2009

  12. So I bought the King Cake from Whole Foods! They didn’t have any traditional cakes left so I got the *Pecan Praline* one… talk about delicious… You definitely can’t eat just one piece! I brought it to the bar to share with my friends, and they couldn’t get enough. :) Thanks!

    @ 10:52 am on February 25, 2009

  13. King Cake season begins on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany or the feast of the magi. It is baby Jesus. At least in NOLA, where I was born and lived for 44 years.

    @ 11:38 am on January 6, 2010

  14. I have to agree with DGirl… in grammer/middle/high school (in Nola), we had king cakes on Friday during MG season. Whoever got the baby brought the next one(s). I never heard of it being called baby Jesus until I looked for king cakes online last year.

    @ 2:24 pm on January 13, 2010

  15. Mardi Gras is a name associated with differing versions of Carnival around the world, all of which relate to gluttony(?) before fasting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras

    Accordingly, there are differing versions of the King Cake as well as different trinkets found inside.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_cake

    @ 11:27 am on February 3, 2010

  16. Depending of the area, you will find that IT IS sometimes referred as Baby Jesus; however, it is just as often, just a trinket, or a pagan figurine. Originally I think it was only a “bean” and then changed with time. Mexico has it’s version, as does France, etc.;however, Mexico’s version is more symbolic of the celebration of the 3 kings (Jan 6)…as for a lot of Latin American countries is the MAIN day and equivalent to our Christmas “in spirit”.
    The person finding the “trinket” is usually responsible for either throwing the party, or buying the cake the following year.

    @ 10:30 am on February 8, 2010