King Cake season is one of my FAVORITE times of the year, ya’ll.  I am born and raised in New Orleans, and the end of Christmas season…well, that only means one thing!

TIME FOR KING CAKE!

And we’re not just talking any ‘ole cinnamon roll with colored icing slapped on it.  No siree.  NOLA Eater made a whole site with 35 different kinds of King Cake and where you can pick them up in the New Orleans area.    There’s so many different ways that bakeries have been able to stray from the original cake and turn them into works of art. 

I love a good cream cheese filling, personally.  But if you’re a traditionalist (like my husband), you just want the plain cinnamon dough, colored sugar, and white icing.  And then there are friends of ours that love chocolate, praline, and all kinds of other combinations.  And trust me, they’re all delicious.

So, now that I’ve made your mouth water…what happens if you live out of town??  What if you don’t have an awesome friend like me to ship you a care package of sorts?  Well, there are a few bakeries that ship king cakes throughout the United States during this time of year.  Here are some of my favorites:

Adrian’s Bakery

This bakery is actually the closest to my house, which – I’m not gonna lie – is one of the reasons they top my list.  Their cakes are really fresh and fluffy, not too dense like other King Cakes, and they do a combination of colored sugar and white icing.  We have a plain one sitting in our kitchen AS I TYPE THIS but I’ve also enjoyed the strawberry cream cheese cake all by myself.  Delicious.  Order online here.

Manny Randazzo’s

When I was in grade school, every Friday during Carnival season was King Cake Friday.  And I LOVED when someone from Chalmette (a neighboring city) would get the baby because that meant we were almost guaranteed to get a Randazzo’s King Cake.  These are my second favorite of the traditional King Cake variety.  They are similar to Adrian’s Bakery except that this cake foregoes the colored sugar and opts for complete white icing coverage and then rainbow sprinkles.  This cake is dense and super sweet, but it’s a definite go-to King Cake for traditionalists like us.   Order online here.

Haydel’s

There’s a King Cake stand-off per se between those who prefer Randazzo’s King Cakes and those who prefer Haydel’s.  I’ve actually never had a Haydel’s King Cake; they sell out early and they aren’t close to my house.  Believe me, I’ve tried to get one just to see what all the hype is about – boy is there hype – but the times I’ve gone to get one, they’ve been sold out.  Haydel’s has tried to rectify this by opening pop up shops throughout the city; one has opened this year in my neighborhood.  So, the jury may still be out for me, but I KNOW this cake has a huge following.  That means it’s worth a try, right?  Haydel’s also ships king cakes YEAR ROUND.  Order online here.

Caluda’s King Cake

This cake is very similar to the Randazzo’s variety but different in that the icing isn’t as thick on this one.  Could it be because one of the Randazzo clan branched off and started making king cakes on her own?  The scandal!  Whatever the story may be, it truly doesn’t matter.  Just stuff a thick piece of this delicious king cake in your mouth and forget it ever happened.  They also have a really great video on their website you should check out that shows how the king cake is made, including braiding the dough.   Order online here.

Breads on Oak

This one is not a traditional King Cake but had to be included for those of us who are non-dairy!  They make Vegan king cakes that feature an almond in place of the traditional plastic baby.  They’re super delicious as well, with fillings like almond cream and apple streusel.  They ship all over the United States by UPS Next Day Air saver and are worth a shot if you have allergies like us or if you are vegan and looking for a sweet New Orleans treat!  Order online here.

So there you have it…5 delicious bakeries spreading the King Cake love throughout the United States this Carnival season.  Some ordering tips though:

1. Order now, not later.  The closer we get to February 28th (Mardi Gras), the harder it will be to get a king cake shipped to you.  The bakeries get busier and the cakes get more and more scarce.
2. Be prepared to pay.  We’re talking about – for all intents and purposes – a cinnamon roll made into a round bread-like cake.  And yet, we pay $20-$30 for a modest one…and that doesn’t include shipping.  You could pay more than $50 to have a small king cake shipped to you.  But if you’ve never tried one, it’s worth it. 
3. Enjoy within a couple of days.  Depending on the bakery, king cakes will not keep for very long.  They’re baked fresh and not meant for preservation. 

And if you get the baby, don’t forget to send me a King Cake!  Or at least, shoot me an email and let me know how much you enjoyed this little slice of my hometown.

Until next time, ya’ll!