Make the King Cake a Star 

The King Cake is an important part of many Mardi Gras gatherings, and Bryan believes you should give it the attention it deserves. “I like the idea of a dessert and punch table,” says Bryan. He elevates his cake on a shiny dessert stand and serves it with clever reverse decoupage plates depicting historic Mardi Gras scenes that appeared in Harper’s Weekly in the late 1800s. There are many variations of King cakes, but Bryan’s favorite is the traditional French Galette des Rois, which is puff pastry with frangipani filling from Maurice French Pastries.

Console: Karla Katz Antiques, New Orleans; 504/897-0061
King Cake: Maurice French Pastries;  mauricefrenchpastries.com
Decoupaged plates: Mardi Gras series by Laurel Wilder for Hazelnut; hazelnutneworleans.com; laurelwilder.com