i've had several ppl ask me what exactly a king cake is so in case you don't know...here ya go...
the king cake is actually scoffed by the inhabitants of the big easy for some 40 days leading up to mardi gras.it's origins lie with the city's french settlers, who used a smilar bun to celebrate the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts 12 days after christmas, calling it the feast of epiphany or the twelfth night, or king's day. they're brightly iced in relevant colors (purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power), but they're most distinctive for being in a long tradition of cakes - from the ones sent to would-be escapees from the clink to the sponge mrs. doyle baked for a jumper-loving irish crooner - with unexpected things secreted inside.
in this case, it's a small plastic baby. this - representing jesus - is inserted to the dough just before it's popped in the oven. in 1871 the tradition of choosing the queen of mardi gras was determined by who got the slice containing the baby. these days the lucky person simply has to provide the cake for the next day's festivities and also known for good luck!
on some level, this sounds sinister. there's no "or else...."clause in the king cake contract, but in a town famously steeped in voodoo you'd probably want to deliver.
king cake w/the baby.
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