"KingCake" news and stories

If you're lucky, you've tried it and found the baby.

Carnival means it's king cake season in New Orleans. Rings of the gold, purple and green sugary delights have cropped up all over the Crescent City, but they've likely come to your neighborhood too, as Louisiana natives -- many of whom relocated after Hurricane Katrina -- celebrate Mardi Gras (on Feb. 24 in 2009) with the king cake and its hidden plastic baby.

"It's a very interesting time for the king cake," says Chef John Folse, an expert on Cajun and Creole cuisine. His Gonzales, La., company is part of a growing number of bakeries that sell king cakes nationwide.

The traditional King Cake is a ring of rich pastry, similar to brioche or Danish pastry, which is filled with a rich filling, like cream cheese, marzipan or a buttery cinnamon mixture. The cake is frosted with brightly colored icing: purple to represent justice, green to represent faith, and gold to represent power. King Cakes are served some time between Epiphany and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras and can be eaten with breakfast or as a dessert.