It’s King Cake season!
10 places to find this Mardi Gras treat in Memphis
Laissez les bon temps rouler! h Mardi Gras season officially kicked off Jan. 6 — and that means King Cakes are here. h For those who might not be familiar with King Cakes, a sweet danish dough filled with cinnamon sugar, cream cheese or fruit filling is covered with vanilla icing and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. The person who gets the slice with the plastic baby inside becomes “king” for the day and is bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake. h It’s a fun and tasty tradition that can be enjoyed, not just in New Orleans, but across the country.
It used to be you had to make your own King Cake or order one from New Orleans, but now many Memphis bakeries are making this Mardi Gras treat.
Here are 10 places in Memphis to find a King Cake before Mardi Gras ends Feb. 16.
Sweet Lala’s Bakery
6150 Poplar Ave.; (901) 654-3646; sweetlalas.com
Sweet Lala’s Bakery makes King Cakes for special orders. “We think what makes ours the best is our risen dough and made-from-scratch cream cheese and cinnamon filling,” owner Lauren Young said. Sweet Lala’s King Cakes are approximately 10 inches and feed 15. The cost is $32. Orders should be placed at least 48 hours in advance.
La Baguette
3088 Poplar Ave.; (901) 458-0900; labaguettememphis.com
French bakery La Baguette has been making King Cakes for decades. The 12inch King Cakes are made from danish dough and are cinnamon cream cheese flavored. You should allow two days for special orders. The cost is $28.50, which includes tax.
Prima’s Bakery and Boutique
523 S. Main St.; (901) 352-4193; primasbakeryandboutique.com
Prima’s Bakery and Boutique in Downtown Memphis makes a cinnamon cream cheese King Cake for special orders. It’s filled with orange and lemon zest with a thin ribbon of cinnamon cream cheese baked into the cake. A sweet vanilla glaze covers the top. The cost is $30. Rachel Mullen, who runs the bakery, is also making Mardi Grasthemed French macaron cookies, petit fours, doughnuts and iced sugar cookies.
Donut Hutt
1016 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 111, Collierville; (901) 861-4404; donuthutt.com
Donut Hutt is making several flavors of King Cakes. Choose from traditional cinnamon or filled with your choice of cream cheese, raspberry, strawberry or lemon. Cakes are available in two sizes. The medium is $30 for the traditional
cinnamon and $35 filled. The large is $45 for the traditional cinnamon and $55 filled. Cakes will be available in the case, but pre-orders are recommended.
Lucy J’s Bakery
1350 Concourse Ave.; (901) 257-9206; lucyjbakery.com
Lucy J’s Bakery in Crosstown Concourse is making King Cakes in both cinnamon pecan and cream cheese flavors. The King Cake is a special order item and costs $15. It feeds 6 to 8. They request 48 hours notice for special order items.
Kay Bakery
667 Avon Road; (901) 767-0780
King Cakes at Kay Bakery are only available in the traditional cinnamon flavor. A special order item, this King Cake feeds 10 to 15. The cost is $13.50.
The Ginger’s Bread & Co.
(901) 870-3927; thegingersbread.com The Ginger’s Bread & Co. is offering
King Cakes in two flavors. A traditionally decorated King Cake comes in a cinnamon sugar flavor and a praline flavor filled and topped with caramel and pecans. Each cake is made with a classic brioche dough. Choose from a large ($14 for the traditional and $18 for the praline) or a mini ($4.50 for the traditional and $5 for the praline) that feeds one or two. Owner Jimmy Hoxie will also be making pralines, fleur-de-lis cookies and bananas foster muffins for the holiday. Orders can be placed online.
Farm and Fig
800 Cooper St.; (901) 483-8282; farmandfigcatering.com
Farm and Fig is offering a 9-inch braided King Cake. The buttery cinnamon filled cake is topped with a vanilla glaze and the traditional gold, green and purple sugars. It costs $30 and feeds 8 to 10. They request 48 hours notice for special order items.
Gibson’s Donuts
760 Mt. Moriah Road; (901) 682-8200
Gibson’s Donuts owner Don Deweese credits their popular King Cake doughnuts to his son Britton. Britton makes these specialty doughnuts from the shop’s cinnamon roll dough. They will start appearing in the shop case about a week before Fat Tuesday (Feb. 16). They are also available by special order.
Thomas Meat & Seafood Market
642 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville; (901) 221-8584; thomasmeatandseafoods.com
Thomas Meat & Seafood Market does not make King Cakes, but it does order them from the world-famous Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans. They try to keep two flavors in stock during Mardi Gras season. Choose from praline or cream cheese.
The cost is $24.99.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.