9 years ago

The traditional, must-have Mardi Gras cake

Amy Fouks, our bakery category manager, shares the story behind this popular Mardi Gras tradition.

Mark your calendars for February 18: Mardi Gras! Historically, Fat Tuesday is the day of eating foods with more fat in them to prepare for the beginning of the Lenten season and Ash Wednesday, which is a time when some people fast and follow specific diet traditions (i.e., not eating meat). It’s typically a day filled with Mardi Gras parties that at times can even shut down entire cities in celebration.

The King Cake is a very big part of these Mardi Gras festivities! It takes its name from the biblical three kings that visited Jesus. Each cake holds a small trinket or a plastic baby representing baby Jesus. The person who receives the piece of cake with the trinket is traditionally expected to buy the cake the following year.

Our Lunds & Byerlys King Cake is made from an exclusive recipe. The sweet dough is moist, rich and full of cinnamon. Our King Cake is also iced and sprinkled with sugar in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green.

You’ll find the plastic baby in a small bag attached to the outside of the King Cake box. We can’t actually put the baby inside the King Cake, but you can if you wish. Just be sure you know where you place it or else you’ll be back in our bakery buying King Cake next year!

King Cakes will be available in all Lunds and Byerly’s grocery stores beginning February 13 and running through February 17.

If you haven’t tried our King Cake, start off a new tradition this year with your family or co-workers. It’s a great reason to have some festive celebrations during this cold winter and a small sign that spring is on its way!