Where To Eat King Cake In New Orleans

The tradition of eating king cake is rooted in old-world Europe, but eventually found its way to America—specifically the South and New Orleans. And for this, we're eternally grateful.

Celebrating with this confection is the sweetest way to usher in Carnival, which begins on the Twelfth Night (or January 6, 12 days after Christmas), and culminates on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, or Mardi Gras. Down South, it's practically a sacrilege to indulge before or after the aforementioned dates, which is why the sight of king cake on the bakery shelf gets our hearts a flutter.

But, let's back up: First, what is king cake anyway? For those unfamiliar, this sweet treat is often a braided wreath of cinnamon-laced brioche dough that's covered in icing and adorned with the sugared stripes of green for faith, gold for power, and purple for justice.

Inside, the king cake can be filled with cream cheese, fruit, or even unique takes on savory elements. But all king cakes include the tiny baby tucked inside, said to represent good fortune—and with it comes the responsibility of bringing a cake to the next party.

From the traditional to the offbeat, here's where to eat king cake in New Orleans. (Plus, a few of these places ship, if you're not making a Carnival trip to the Big Easy.)

Traditional King Cakes

Manny Randazzo King Cakes: A classic king cake if there ever was one, Randazzo is a favorite among purists, and for good reason—the family has been making this beloved recipe since 1965. Their hand-braided, cinnamon-infused cake is covered in "Randazzo" icing and topped with the traditional tri-colored sprinkles. (Ships nationwide.)

Haydel's Bakery: Now in its third generation, this family-owned bakery once operated out of a tiny 24-hour-a-day window. Today, Haydel's is among the most popular choices for a classic king cake, with recipes deeply rooted in New Orleans tradition. The cake is made of Danish dough that's hand-braided with cinnamon and sugar and topped with fondant icing along with purple, green, and gold sugar. (Ships nationwide.)

Dong Phuong Bakery: James Beard Award-winning Dong Phuong Bakery in New Orleans East became so popular that folks have reportedly bought and resold the king cakes, while lines snaked down the block. It now offers a pickup-only option for the light and flakey brioche king cake that's topped with cream cheese icing.

Joe Gambino's Bakery: At Gambino's, Mardi Gras fun doesn't end on Fat Tuesday. Their signature king cakes are available year-round. Made with a sweet Danish dough and swirled with cinnamon, the cake also comes with the icing and decorating sugar on the side so you can decorate it yourself. Some New Orleanians like to pit Joe Gambino's against Haydel's, but we love both just the same. (Ships nationwide.)

Re-Imagined King Cakes

New Orleans Cake Café & Bakery: Situated in the Marigny, Cake Café has created a confection that could win a king cake beauty pageant if there were such a thing. Underneath the paint-splatter of colorful icing is the shop's signature goat cheese and apple filling. You'll also find a raspberry cream cheese and pecan cream cheese variety. Owner and head baker Steve Himelfarb also bakes the occasional mini boudin cake with cane-sugar candied bacon.

Gracious Bakery + Cafe: This sweet little bakery from husband-and-wife team Megan and Jay Forman sells a smattering of homemade breads, pastries, and desserts. But come Carnival season, they're busy with the king (and queen) cake. Gracious Bakery's king cake is made with Valrhona couverture pieces and chocolate chips that are rolled into the dough. It's then glazed with white icing and dusted with colored sanding sugar. The almond-flavored queen cake has frangipane laminated into the dough. And there's the shimmering Nectar Cream: Inspired by the city's favorite snow ball flavor, this nectar and cream-filled cake is airbrushed with pretty pink and gold luster. Bonus: The shop's St. Charles location is smack-dab on the parade route. Cake are also available for shipping, but you can also get their king cake baking mix delivered and try your hands at making one yourself.

District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew: It's not surprising that one of those fancy donut shops turns out a marvelous king cake. District Donuts creates their own unique spin, and this year it's a croissant-style cake with cream cheese folded into layers of laminated dough. It's drizzled with bittersweet salted caramel and a cream cheese glaze and finished with nonpareils and sprinkles. (Ships nationwide.)

Willa Jean: Guided by esteemed chef and partner Kelly Fields and named after her grandmother, Willa Jean impresses with this year's caramel crunch king cake. The almost-too-pretty-to-eat cake is made with a traditional cinnamon sugar filling, capped with a crunchy caramel glaze, and finished with cream cheese frosting petals. (Sold by the slice at the pastry counter or whole on pre-order.)

Breads On Oak: This vegan-version of the Mardi Gras treat, from beloved vegan cafe and bakery Breads On Oak, has all the same flavor as the traditional, without any of the animal products. They offer several different versions of the cake beyond the traditional, including 'cream cheese,' Bavarian, and strawberry 'cream' filled variations, all topped with a cinnamon icing made with maple syrup. Even the purple, gold, and green sprinkles are made from plants.

A Fine Grocery Store Cake

Rouses Markets: We love our groceries in the South, and this family-owned Southern chain makes a fine king cake with scads of fillings from fruit to almond to heavenly hash to chocolate or cream cheese. And there's the traditional, of course. Attend any Mardi Gras party in New Orleans, and you're bound to find a Rouses' king cake. (Ships nationwide.)