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Krewe du King Cake, Baton Rouge, LA (2026)

01/23/2026

EM’S BAKERY MARDI GRAS JAPANESE CHEESECAKE
CARNIVAL 2026
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Let’s have some cheesecake for breakfast! This is a beautiful Mardi Gras-inspired Japanese-style cheesecake from Baton Rouge pop-up .br.

For those who have never had Japanese-style cheesecake, it is a little different than NY-style cheesecake. it is more light and airy, and less dense. It is typically a little less creamy, and more like a souffle, with height, bounce, and more a cake-life texture than the custardy texture we associate with cheesecake in the US.

This is almost a hybrid of these two things, with some layers being more like a souffle/chiffon cake, and some layers being more creamy, and let me tell you this is a luxurious combination. The best of both worlds! Fluffy, airy, and creamy with a prominent cream cheese flavor.

This is obviously not a king cake, and it is not flavored like a king cake either. The three layers have distinct flavors of their own, the purple being ube, an earthy, savory, purple Japanese sweet potato. The green layer is pandan, a sweet, grassy plant that I sort of think of as the flavor of “baked goods” or like “super vanilla” - this layer is my favorite! And the top is a more simple vanilla cheesecake flavor, topped with cream cheese icing - maybe sour cream in here? - and there is also a thin layer of this icing coating the sides of the cake in the three colors.

This cheesecake is so beautiful, so festive, and so delicious! I am a BIG fan of ube and pandan for Mardi Gras, they go so perfectly together, they are the perfect natural colors - these bright layers are NOT food coloring, folks - and I have been a proponent of including them in king cake-adjacent desserts for years. This texture is also so lovely, I would certainly order more of these cheesecakes, maybe even a whole pandan cheesecake just for me!

You can get these Japanese cheesecakes by special order by dming .br, and in the NOLA area they are also available by the slice at . She is also doing popups throughout the season!

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

01/22/2026

EAT THE RICH DULCE DE LECHE
CARNIVAL 2026
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Last year, I was truly OBSESSED with this cottage baker’s root beer cinnamon king babka king cake, so this was one of my first purchases this year as soon as the season started!

This is a big squishy babka king cake from , that is both glazed and filled with creamy, sweet, rich dulce de leche. The challah bread is everything you want - it is fat and squishy and moist. There is not a HUGE amount of dulce de leche in this cake, it’s just enough to give you the flavor in every bite.

This is the perfect kind of cake if you’re someone who doesn’t want something too sweet, this is like a snacking cake that has a good shelf life, that you can keep in your kitchen, knife in the box, and grab a piece every time you walk by.

Vaughn can really bake, every one of her creations that I have tried has been delicious and thoughtful and well executed. I highly recommend giving this pop up a try!

Eat the Rich has a booth at the , which is every Thursday from 5-9pm - THAT’S TONIGHT- at , where she has slices of this cake, the incredible cinnamon root beer, banana peanut butter, tiramisu, lemon poppyseed, and new this week - funfetti! You can also dm her to order a whole cake to pick up at next week’s Fe(a)st, she opens orders weekly.

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

01/21/2026

NOCCA STRAWBERRY TRES LECHES
CARNIVAL 2026
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Last year, NOCCA, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, started introducing a Chef series of king cakes by collaborating with different well known chefs in the city and creating limited runs of specialty king cake flavors. I was very excited for this week’s, which is a collaboration with of Brigsten’s restaurant.

This is described as a strawberry-infused brioche dough filled with fresh strawberries, a milky tres leches custard, and fresh strawberry jam. This is very similar but adjacent to a strawberry cream cheese king cake, but less intense, less sour and thick, with more of a milky flavor. The strawberry jam is sweet, fresh and is the predominant flavor throughout the cake. I think my photograph of the bread looks dry, but it is NOT - it does sort of have a wet, squishy consistency from absorbing the tres leches custard. The brioche is flaky and flavorful, with an undercurrent of cinnamon

The tres leches custard is the BEST part - sweet and creamy, with the flavor of condensed milk. I would recommend eating this cake the first day you pick it up, however, because it does absorb into the cake if less to sit uneaten. I find this custard the most unique part of the cake, and it really shines when you get a slice with less strawberry jam.

Does it remind me of tres leches? Vaguely. But mostly it tastes like a moist, chewy, crispy, flavorful, well made strawberry king cake! I think this is actually one of the most unique and delicious king cakes that I’ve enjoyed yet this season.

They will be making this Chef Frank Brigsten’s Strawberry Tres Leches King Cake at .nola through January 29th. It looks like all the preoders on their website are sold out, but it is available at the daily.

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

You might also be wondering, what about Chef Emeril’s Banana Cream Pie King Cake from the first few weeks of Carnival this year? Why didn’t I review that? I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t eat a banana king cake if Chef Emeril came to my house and fed it to me himself. Sorry!

01/19/2026

BRATZ Y’ALL BAVARIAN & GERMAN CHOCOLATE PRETZELS
CARNIVAL 2026
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I am a huge fan of German food, and even went to Munich for Oktoberfest last year, so I was super excited when these giant king cake pretzels crossed my feed this carnival! is a great little beergarden and German restaurant, and this is their latest iteration of their king cake pretzels, this time in two different flavors!

The Bavarian Cream filled is my favorite of the two - you may have had some vanilla pudding filled king cakes in your time, but this is the real stuff. The filling is rich, custardy, vanilla. It is thick and luscious, and perfectly complements and softens the pretzel, which is also the real deal. There is a subtle background flavor of cinnamon as well, as these are supposed to be king cake-adjacent. These pretzels are chewy, malty, and a little salty which makes a great balance.

The German Chocolate is filled with a coconut and pecan filling, held together by rich condensed milk. The pretzel on this one is glazed with a chocolate coating and carnival sprinkles. Again, very malty, savory notes heightened by the sweet filling and tangy coconut. It kind of has all the things!

This is not the first version of these king cake pretzels, and I have to say I think this is an improvement over the previous years, which I have found soft of tough and difficult to eat. The size is right, the texture is right, and the flavors are excellent. I don’t have anything bad to say about these!

You cannot preorder these pretzels, you can only purchase them in-house at Bratz Y’all in the Bywater, where they are made fresh daily. Dare I say this would be an excellent pre-Chewbacchus adventure? Drink ein helles for me, bitte!

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

01/15/2026

KING CAKE FE(A)ST WEEK 1
CARNIVAL 2026
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Tonight! At is the second week of , a small local king cake by the slice market full of bakers and makers. This is the FOURTH year of this market, I believe, and the second hosted by .

A fun new addition this year is the King Cake Passport! When you arrive, grab a booklet that you can get stamped for every purchase you make through the season. Once you have ten stamps, you can redeem for a custom King Cake Fe(a)st king cake knife! You can also add your info for a chance to win $40 in credit at the fest.

Here are the goods I picked up week 1:

PANDAN ALMOND - this was my favorite bite all night!! Soft, chewy, blasted me in the face with pandan, almond, and cream cheese. I would order a whole cake of this. Obsessed.

CHEESCAKE CROOKIE - this thing is like a croissant and a cookie had a baby, and the king cake creamcheese flavored filling inside was INCREDIBLE. I don’t know how this was made, but I’m still thinking about this filling.

PECAN PRALINE KING CAKE-A-RON - a gluten free, triple layer macaron stuffed with pecan praline filling. The inside of this thing is giving candy bar, full of gooey caramel pulls and crunchy praline. Always a good choice. This year she’s added a Bananas Foster flavor.
i.s.s.kreations COOKIE BUTTER - soft, classic king cake topped with cookie butter glaze. Delicious!

CINNAMON ROLL - classic, well baked, layered cinnamon roll with carnival sugar. Also interested in her Carnival Ooey Gooey and Cheesecake!

Anyway, maybe I’ll see you there tonight? This event will be every Thursday throughout Carnival, from 5-9. Go get those passports stamped!

01/13/2026

AYU BAKEHOUSE VIEUX CARRE
CARNIVAL 2026
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Here is this year’s limited-edition king cake from very popular local bakery, Ayu Bakehouse! This is described as a lattice-cut ring of laminated brioche filled with brown-butter hazelnut praline, herbal Bénédictine-infused frangipane and a ribbon of cherry–vermouth jam.

This cake is almost a hybrid between a traditional cake and a French king cake, a galette des rois. The laminated brioche is slightly crispy, and glazed in a very similar way. It is flaky and buttery and delicious. The frangipane is a classic galette des rois filling, and the almond flavor is giving me galette as well. The cherry-vermouth jam adds a lot of sweetness and acidity, which really balances the other rich filling flavors.

The website description of this cake describes “pecan” praline, not hazelnut, but this is hazelnut as evidenced by the whole ones inside of my cake (and the IG description). I will say the filling is distributed a bit unevenly, some parts of this cake are packed with filling, some just cherry-vermouth jam, some are mostly bread. The slices with filling are rich and flavorful, and the slices without are still very delicious but you miss out on the full experience of the drink. The cake is also topped with rounds of very lightly candied citrus peel, sweet and not bitter but still with a bit of the bite of whole citrus peel.

I know I'm getting into the weeds on this one, but this is a complex cake full of complex flavors. I think copying a classic cocktail like a Vieux Carre, full of subtle notes of flavors, is a big task and this was a creative take on the drink, full of notes of dried fruit and nuts. Texturally also this is an interesting cake, not really like anything else out here. My cake also did not come with Ayu's classic golden bean feve, which may have been an oversight.

If you're looking for something elevated and different this year, I think this is a great choice, but maybe it's not for everyone, and there are some ex*****on issues, at least in my cake. Also I regret not ordering their classic Croissant City Classic or Chocolate Babka cakes to go along with it - highly recommend visiting my page to see these incredible cakes, which are definitely worth a purchase.

Rating: 💜💛 (2/3)

01/11/2026

MUDDY CAT BROWN BUTTER
CARNIVAL 2026
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Last year, I posted a bunch of stories about bakers that were not baking in 2025 and that I MISSED, including and , but also ! And guess what, she’s back! You can order a gorgeous brown butter king cake for her almost weekly through carnival this year.

Obviously the first thing that drew me in about this king cake was these colorful homemade sprinkles. I don’t think anyone else is doing homemade sprinkles on the reg, and I am kind of obsessed with how they look and taste. They are like rustic yet very festive and bright. I love the inconsistency in the shapes and lengths. They make this already very beautiful cake even more special.

It is a twisted babka-esque configuration of king cake, that really allows the bread to create a variety of textures - it has soft, pillowy layers inside full of cinnamon, and crispy ridges and edges that collect the brown butter glaze. The texture and depth of flavor of this cake are spectacular - I swear the filling of cinnamon and brown sugar became something deeper through oven alchemy, it is almost richly spiced. I will say, this year’s cake was a little on the dry side, but it did make it up for it in flavor.

The glaze stays sort of moist and continues to seep through the layers of this cake in a very attractive and delicious way. The browned butter is doing a lot of work here, the whole cake tastes like browned butter notes.

You can order this cake in brown butter by dming them on IG is arranging weekly pickups at Beachcorner Bar in Mid City.

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

01/09/2026

KING CAKE FE(A)ST
CARNIVAL 2026
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Looking for cakes by the slice? The King Cake Fe(a)st is happening every Thursday this carnival at Port Orleans Brewery on Tchoupitoulas starting at 5:30pm. This event hosts both bakers selling king cake slices and treats, as well as makers with fun Mardi Gras crafts, costume pieces and decor.

I had so much fun and week one and will be back next week! 💜

01/08/2026

PARTY PALACE CINNAMON
CARNIVAL 2026
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When a vendor dropped off this GIANT cinnamon king cake from Party Palace a couple years ago in Kenner, who specializes in shipping and corporate sales king cakes, I did what any reasonable person would do...I STOLE IT. AND GUES WHAT? I DID IT AGAIN. I STOLE THIS CAKE FROM MY OFFICE AGAIN. Then I brought it home and took a hundred photos of it so that I could tell you all about it. I DID IT FOR YOU. You’re welcome.

This is a big ass, traditional, braided Danish dough king cake with a healthy amount of cinnamon filling. It is NOT dry. It is not artificial tasting. The dough flakes apart in a thick sheets and the filling is not too spicy, well flavored, still a little wet inside even after baking! The icing is I think just powdered sugar, I’m not even really detecting vanilla, and there is a medium amount of colored granulated sugar topping in carnival colors. Great, flavor, great texture, the first time I had this cake I was shocked by how good it is.

If you love a traditional cake, a Manny Randazzo style king cake, you are going to love this one. It can compete with Manny!

For $60 shipped, this is also a great value king cake if you are out of town. Their website says you can buy them in stores, but I haven’t seen this anywhere! You can call them to place a carry out order also - their website is partypalacekingcakes.com.

Rating: 💜💛💚 (3/3)

01/06/2026

TARTINE & HIDO CREAM CHEESE: KING CAKE HUB EDITION
CARNIVAL 2026
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I’M BACK BABY AND I MISSED YOU!!! For some reason, probably the unfortunate state of the world, I am more ready this year for king cake than I’ve been in some time...so I have TWO cakes for you this King’s Day!

The is SO close to my house this year, which is so dangerous for me. I couldn’t help but run over there at open and snag some cakes and king cake swag. They have a new location at 3300 Gravier, and a wide selection of cakes as well as Mardi Gras accessories and decor.

I wanted to stay pretty traditional for Twelfth Night, so I stuck with some tried and true favorites: Cinnamon Cream Cheese and Cream Cheese.

The Tartine is a braided brioche dough stuffed with a generous portion of cinnamon cream cheese. I am not sure how this is the only cake with cinnamon in their cream cheese, but I think it’s such a brilliant idea. This is also a great cake for SHIPPING if you are out of town - it is large, heavy, and holds up for several days.

The HiDo Cream Cheese - what haven’t I already said about this cake. This is probably my ride or die favorite. I brought one for when I was on Louisiana Eats last year and we ate it into the microphone. It is a perfectly soft, fluffy pillow of a cake, with a thin layer of lightly sweetened cream cheese. No icing, just sugar, which adds a perfect crunch. Just a simple cake I think about all year long.

Anyway, I have loads of plans, loads of cakes already ordered, and I can’t wait to share them all! Please drop a comment or shoot me a dm if there’s anything you want me to try!

HAPPY KING CAKE SEASON!!!

Rating(s): 💜💛💚 (3/3)

03/02/2025

HIDO ALMOND
CARNIVAL 2025
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I have a late-stage carnival confession: I think is my favorite king cake. Yes, I like it more than that other cake. That one, too.

It’s just perfect! A lightly cinnamon dough, so fluffy and pillowy. The sugar is so fine and crispy crunchy without hurting your mouth. A thin layer of filling - in this case almond, which you can only get by request at the bakery (a crime if you ask me, HiDo, please release almond as a regular flavor, it’s the best!) I inhaled this cake when I got it home. The scent, the taste, the texture: just obsessed. The best cake.

Plus also I’ve buried the lede here obviously - another special request you can make is that they’ll form this delicious cake into shape you want!!! I got this ridiculous, absurdist giant Mardi Gras crawfish and y’all. LOOK AT HIM! He is a work of art, a masterpiece. You can get a crawfish, or a crown, or a big Fleur de Lis, all in Mardi Gras colors or black and gold or purple and gold, or rainbow or whatever! What a fun moment of carnival excess that makes me just so happy.

Anyway it Thoth Sunday, I’m literally writing this from the route. Come find me on Magazine street and I’ll give you a shot of king cake vodka whipped cream. Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Rating: 💜💛💚👑 (3+/3)

03/01/2025

BALBONI’S CANNOLI KING CAKE
CARNIVAL 2025
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Look, I’m not out here trying to break kayfabe like so let’s just say that Balboni’s king cake is a New Orleans tradition! And this showstopping cannoli king cake is one of the biggest, stupidest, fanciest king cake I’ve ever purchased or consumed.

This is a fiori de Sicilia scented enriched dough braided with cinnamon. It’s been baked and cut in half, and filled with a lightly spiced mascarpone and ricotta canolli filling studded with chocolate chips.

The cake is then topped with a pistachio flavored white chocolate, more piped ricotta filling, pistachios, crispy pearls, sprinkles, GOLD LEAF, and more than a dozen mini cannoli decorated in carnival colors dusted with copious holographic edible glitter. The feve is a shiny Balboni’s doubloon.

This cake is weird and big and not traditional. It is kind of hard to eat it is so tall! But the flavors are very on point cannoli. The white chocolate is crispy and contrasts the soft bread and the creamy cannoli filling. The filling is perfectly balanced and cheesy. The cannoli are so good and cute! Also considering the many, many components that are all executed so well by Jillian from and this giant cake is worth the money.

We’re in it now so good luck finding any cakes! But follow for your shot next year.

Rating: 💜💚💛 (3/3)

Krewe du King Cake