A Raleigh Lifestyle Midtown: Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Raleigh

Oct 15

They say that everywhere outside of New Orleans, Mardi Gras is just a Tuesday—but we say there’s still fun to be had on Mardi Gras in the Triangle. Of course, no Fat Tuesday celebration is complete without a good king cake. And you don’t need to wait for Mardi Gras, which falls on March 4 this year, to enjoy one—you can buy king cakes in the Triangle starting in late February. You should probably pre-order, as these tasty treats sell out fast!

King cake is a dessert with a rich flavor and history. With origins dating back to 12th century France, king cakes were baked as a way for Christians to honor the three wise men’s journey to visit the baby Jesus. The church season of Epiphany traditionally celebrates that journey, and Mardi Gras is the last day of Epiphany, so people traditionally eat king cakes during the Mardi Gras season.

Brought to New Orleans in the late 1800s, the king cake remains a beloved tradition today. This sweet yeast pastry is flavored with cinnamon and sometimes incorporates fillings, like cream cheese. It is typically decorated with white icing and sugars in the three traditional colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green and gold. Purple traditionally represents justice; green represents faith; and gold, power. The cake’s circular shape symbolizes unity.

A plastic baby Jesus (or occasionally a bean) is hidden inside one slice. Tradition says that finding it either signifies good luck or means the person who finds the baby brings a king cake to the next celebration.

Burney’s Sweets & More, a North Carolina bakery franchise, offers a wide variety of cakes and pastries. During the Mardi Gras season, they honor their fellow Southern state at their Raleigh location by baking king cakes. Their king cakes follow the traditional New Orleans style.