My wife and I moved to the mountains of North Carolina after Katrina. We arrived in February and my training with my new company began quickly. On my last week in the training store, I surprised the staff with a New Orleans king cake from Gambino's Bakery. I've had many king cakes over the years and found that Gambino's is my favorite -- although there are lots of competitors. Another very popular cake is offered by Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery. Several of the people who had been so helpful in my training had heard of this delicious treat, but had never tasted one. Others didn't have a clue. Sharing a bit of my heritage and talking about one of the few things I miss from Louisiana is always fun for me.
A king cake is not a typical Duncan Hines cake with two layers and icing in the middle. Take a small amount of king cake dough and bake it and you've got a cinnamon bun/roll. Take a lot more of the same dough, put it in a circular shape (like a crown) and you've got a king cake. It's more like a giant cinnamon doughnut! But there's more: next comes a thick layer of white icing with purple, gold, and green (Mardis Gras colors) sugar sprinkled over it. Some variations include fillings such as cream cheese, strawberries, or praline. The final touch is the insertion of a small plastic baby. Now you've not only got a great treat or dessert around which to focus a party, you've got a religious feast! The circular shape represents a crown for the King of Kings. The baby represents the baby Jesus.
The official Mardi Gras colors were chosen in 1872. The 1892 Rex Parade theme, Symbolism of Colors, gave meaning to the colors: purple represents justice; green, faith; and gold, power. Is it any surprise that the Mardi Gras colors influenced the choice of school colors for arch rivals Louisiana State University and Tulane University? When LSU was deciding on its colors, the shops in New Orleans had stocked up on purple, green, and gold material for the Mardi Gras season. LSU decided upon purple and gold, and bought much of it. Tulane bought much of the only remaining color — green — and thus the Green Wave.
Just as the birth of Jesus meant good things to come for believers, the baby in the king cake represents more parties! The person who is served the piece of cake that includes the baby is obligated to bring the cake for the next party. In South Louisiana, it isn't unusual to have one or more "King Cake Parties" every week all the way up to Mardi Gras.
Epiphany 2012 is just three days before the BCS National Championship in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome between LSU and Alabama. No doubt, many tailgate parties will feature this popular cake.
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