King of Cakes

There's a little round cake on the site today.
It's a different cake than yesterday.

There's little doubt in my mind that Gordon Sumner would write these words after a bite of the fantastic King Cake we now offer from Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery in Slidell, Louisiana. This is an essential for your Mardi Gras parties and a New Orleans tradition that was brought by the French in the 1870s.

The King Cake is round, sweet cake, with a dough similar to what you'd find in a Danish. The cake is decorated in three shades of icing--Purple for Justice, Green for Faith, and Gold for Power. The shape and colors represent the crowns worn by the Three Wise Men when they visited the Baby Jesus on the Epiphany. Each King Cake has a plastic baby baked inside, and tradition dictates that whoever gets the slice with the toy has to provide the King Cake for next year's celebration.

We're lucky to be able to offer these cakes. We'd been talking about adding King Cakes to the site last summer, and we loved the cake that Randazzo's sent us. Everything was set to go, then Hurricane Katrina hit. Randazzo's was flooded out, with four feet of water in the bakery. After 40 years serving New Orleans, it looked like the end.

Tricia Zornes, who took over the bakery from her father, decided to make a stand. She was determined to rebuild, hoping that she would set an example for other businesses in the area. On January 10, after cleaning up and replacing her damaged equipment, Zornes began baking King Cakes once again.

When you order a King Cake from us, you'll be helping Zornes rebuild her business. You'll also get a delicious cake that comes with Mardi Gras accessories, including beads, doubloons, and a history of Mardi Gras. We're proud to be able to make a difference for a local bakery in a time of need, and we hope that you'll support us by making one of Randazzo's King Cakes part of your Mardi Gras celebration, wherever you happen to be.