Mardi Gras cakes fit for a king!

For most Americans, the advent of the New Year is a time to make resolutions and trim waistlines. However in good ole’ Nawlins, the first week of January begins King Cake season, a prelude to Mardi Gras.

Between Jan. 6 (Three King’s Day) and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), area bakers crank out thousands of King Cakes, decorated in purple, green and gold.

At Caro’s Cakes and Catering Inc., a 31-year-old Bayou Blue bakery, the King Cake season is all about tradition.

Three generations of Caros work at the family bakery and catering shop: mother, Rena Caro; son, Duane Caro and granddaughter, Samantha Caro-Birdsall.

“Everyone that work’s here is related in some kind of way,” said manager Monica Caro, who married Rena’s son Jimmy and is Samantha’s mother.

At one time, Rena made the King Cake dough from scratch. When the task became too arduous for the small bakery, she opted to buy frozen dough and continue the kneading process on site.

A couple of years ago, the business expanded to Houma. The founder has since passed ownership of the business to her son Duane, who is the head decorator for both businesses.

Caro’s makes nearly 10 King Cakes a week, which is a small number compared to the volume of cakes Rouses and Cannatas produce daily. “But still they are made with compassion and love for the Mardi Gras season,” said Monica Caro.

Historically, the King Cake celebrates the Epiphany or the Twelfth Night. The story says that Three Wise Men – Casper, Melchior and Balthazar – traveled to a distant land bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

The King Cake’s oval shape represents the circular route the kings took to ward off King Herod, who was trying to kill baby Jesus. The colored sugared glaze on top represents justice, power and faith.

Bakers used to hide a bean, pea or coin in the cake to symbolize the Wise Men finally finding the Christ baby. Today, the beans have been replaced with a plastic baby. Whoever finds this symbol in his or her slice of cake, traditionally, buys the King Cake for the next celebration or is said to have great luck in the coming year.

It’s a tradition that everyone enjoys, the Caros agree, and a cake that anyone can make.

Bavarian Cream-filled

King Cake

New Orleans King Cake

Ingredients:

4 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 envelops of RapidRise Yeast

3/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of butter or margarine

2 large eggs

1/4 cup of melted butter or

margarine

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

Bavarian Cream filing

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean

1 1/4 cups of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin

3 tablespoons of milk

1/4 cup of sugar

5 eggs yolks

1 1/4 cups of whipped cream

Powdered Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups of powdered sugar

4 teaspoons of milk

Colored Sugars

Ingredients

2 cups of sugar

Green food coloring

Yellow food coloring

Blue food coloring

Red food coloring

Directions

Powdered Sugar Glaze

Combine 2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted, and 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk in a medium bowl. Then, stir until smooth.

Colored Sugars

(Green, Yellow and Purple)

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 8 drops of green food coloring in a covered jar or plastic bag. Shake vigorously to evenly mixed. Repeat procedure for yellow-colored sugar. For purple, combine 8 drops of blue and 16 drops of red food coloring before adding the 1/2 cup of sugar. Repeat shaking process.

Bavarian Cream Filing

Split vanilla bean and put into cream and slowly bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour. Remove bean and scrape out seeds, add them to the cream and discard the pod. Sprinkle the gelatin into the milk and set aside. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together. Warm the cream mixture back up and slowly whisk in eggs. Place mixture over simmering water and stir until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add milk and gelatin mixture.

Place bowl in ice bath and stir unit at room temperature. Fold in whipped cream and pour mixture into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, place in refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or until mixture is set.

King Cake

Combine 1 1/2 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, salt and un-dissolved yeast in large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Add to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer. Add eggs and 1/2 cup of flour. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Punch dough down. Remove dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each to 28 by 4-inch rectangle. Brush melted butter over each rectangle. Evenly sprinkle remaining 3/4 sugar and ground cinnamon. Beginning at long end, roll each up tightly like a jellyroll. Pinch to seal and form ropes. Braid ropes’ form braid into oval. Pinch end together to seal. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place until double in size, about an hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done, then remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack. Brush powdered sugar glaze and sprinkle with colored sugars.

Caro’s Cakes and Catering Inc. Manager Monica Caro shows off a King Cake and the plastic baby, which is traditionally hidden inside the cake.