Kingcake

Kingcake

Kingcake is a type of cake associated primarily with the festival of Epiphany at the end of the Christmas season; in other places, it is served during the pre-Lent celebrations of Mardi Gras/Carnival. The cake often has a small trinket (such as a figurine of the baby Jesus) inside, and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations.

History

The Kingcake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans, Louisiana, from France in 1870. It is similar to the Spanish Rosca de Reyes and the Portuguese Bolo Rei, which are also served on the Epiphany.

Description

A Kingcake is a ring of twisted bread similar to a brioche or, sometimes, a coffee cake, topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Mardi Gras colors) with food coloring. There are many different recipes for king cake. However, all king cakes have a small trinket inside, usually a small plastic baby, said to represent Baby Jesus. King cakes are also used in the celebration of Twelfth Night.

Cultural Significance

In the southern United States, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain and is associated with Epiphany (January 6) and pre-Lenten celebrations. The cake is a part of the celebration of the day the Wise Men arrived to see the Christ Child. In these cultures, the person who finds the trinket in their slice of cake becomes 'king' or 'queen' for the day.

See Also

• Twelfth Night (holiday)
• Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Carnival
• Epiphany (holiday)