As the person counting the days until Carnival season every year, Jan. 6 cannot come fast enough. I spend the year debating what king cakes to grab, leaving my knife in only the best boxes. Considering king cake is my dominant food group on the parade route, here are some of my thoughts on popular ones and ones I’ve tried to help your search.
King cake traces its roots back more than a thousand years to celebrations in France and Spain, tied to Epiphany — a Christian holiday on Jan. 6 marking the visit of the Three Kings. The cake symbolized luck, prosperity and the start of the Carnival season. When French settlers arrived in Louisiana in the 1700s, they brought the custom with them.
Over time, Louisiana bakers added their own flair, coating the cake in purple, green and gold — the Mardi Gras colors representing justice, faith and power. Bakeries began hiding a tiny plastic baby inside the cake, symbolizing the baby Jesus. Tradition says whoever finds the baby must bring the next king cake or host the next party.
Nutella king cake, Laurel Street Bakery
As a Nutella lover, I was excited when I found out Laurel Street Bakery had a Nutella king cake as their signature flavor. I had high hopes for this king cake, and I was let down a little. While the top had Nutella, there was no filling at all, so no cinnamon flavor either. I would skip out on this cake for a steep $36, especially considering how dry it was.
Traditional king cake, Caluda’s
When grabbing king cakes, I spotted the mini Caluda’s king cake for just $6. I was so glad I snagged this because it was a great traditional king cake. The frosting isn’t too thick, the cinnamon is strong and most importantly, it wasn’t dry. I would go for a big one this next season.
Traditional king cake, Dough Nguyener’s
On the Westbank and now opening a Mid-City location, Dough Nguyener’s has a list of king cake options longer than some restaurants’ whole menus. While they’re normally known for their Parisian croissant-like king cake, I opted for the traditional and I could not have been happier. This was huge for just $26, delivered on cinnamon flavor and wasn’t dry at all. I would go back to try another flavor just because of how good the traditional one was.
Almond king cake, Dong Phoung
The king of the king cakes, Dong Phoung in New Orleans East is crushing the game. With a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on the dense cinnamon filled cake, this is the last king cake anyone would call dry. Traditional cakes are $25 and with flavor it’s $30 — I’d say these end up being a great bang for your buck. It is hard to get your hands on, but I’ve gotten one in a couple different ways. You can preorder online and pick a day to get your king cake. Alternatively, you could play your luck with one of the grocery stores they deliver to or drive out at 8 a.m. to wait in line.
Chantilly king cake, Bywater Bakery
Though diverging from traditional king cake flavors, Bywater Bakery nails the flavor on their Chantilly king cake. Their perfectly executed cake has tons of airy yet decadent filling with a generous helping of fresh berries, tucked inside a sturdy but moist cake. If you’re looking for something to spice up your king cake game, I can’t recommend this more.
Nectar cream king cake, Gracious Bakery
Gracious bakery has a St. Charles Avenue location, which means that if you set up your spot on the route correctly, you can swing by and grab a slice of king cake for just $5. The perfect parade pick-me-up, the nectar cream king cake has creamy, smooth filling with vanilla and almond shining through.
Pink Parade Strawberry king cake, Brennan’s
As a pink lover, I couldn’t help myself but get the Brennan’s pink parade king cake. This ended up being hard and dry unless you get a pocket of the gooey strawberry filling. Unfortunately, the weak flavors couldn’t overpower how dry the cake was for me, and I would say your $36 could better be spent elsewhere.
Prices reflect what I paid in 2025 for these king cakes and may have changed.