Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French, which translates to many eating and celebrating. Mardi Gras is also known as Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday. It is the last night of eating fatty and rich food before the sacrifice of Lenten. While different regions of Louisiana have their unique dishes during Mardi Gras, the most commonly eaten foods are king cake, meat pies, jambalaya, and gumbo.
Also, read –
- 25 Awesome Cherry Blossom Cake RecipesYou’ll Love
- 40+ Delicious Easter Cake Ideas With Recipes
- 25+ Special Recipes for Easter Cupcakes You’ll Love
The king cake is a round or oval creamed-filled pastry that is symbolic of the Epiphany and Carnival seasons. You may decorate it with festive sprinkles, Mardi Gras colors, decorative icings, and even edible glitter; purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. It is served throughout the Carnival season, starting on January 6 (King’s Day) and lasting through Mardi Gras Day. Often a tiny plastic baby or bean is hidden inside the cake, which symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. And whoever finds it will be named ‘king’ for a day and will also be responsible for bringing the next cake to a party.
Here are the top 15 king cakes recipes you must try at this carnival and enjoy with your family.
1. Easy Mini King Cake
Image and recipe by I am not the Nanny
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 4
Number of Ingredients: 5
I know that many are intimidated by the thought of making brioche dough. But this mini king cake recipe is super easy and will make you look like a pro.
This easy mini-cake recipe also captures the essence of a traditional king cake. If you love Mardi Gras or just want to try something new, then this is the treat for you. Make this cake with an easy recipe and see how delicious your Mardi Gras festivities will become.
2. Vegan King Cake
Image and recipe by Food With Feelings
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 1 large cake
Number of Ingredients: 13
Vegan king cake for a vegan is the same as sharing an ordinary king cake with your friends. Giving them the option to choose from will make them feel special because you are also taking care of their dietary requirements along with celebrations.
This vegan cake has cinnamon and almond milk that brings a freshness to the flavor. Trust me; your vegan friend will never Cake.
3. Mardi Gras King Cake Scones
Image and recipe by Frugal Hausfrau
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Number of Ingredients: 15
These are not your typical scones. They’re rich, a little dense, and lean towards a muffin side of the scone spectrum instead of a crispy edge and crumbly scone. These are barely sweet and just slightly salty without the icing and sugar. It all balances out once You can add the icing and sugar topping. These scones are something to keep in mind if you’re considering making something delicious and different. You can also serve them plain and without decoration. Maybe you’ll want to add a bit of extra sugar and slightly cut back on the salt in that case.
4. Lemon and Cream Cheese Filled King Cakes
Image and recipe by Back To the Cutting Board
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 small cakes
Number of Ingredients: 30
The classic Mardi Gras King Cake is a colorful, sweet cake filled with cinnamon and topped with traditional purple, green, and gold sugars. But my favorite king cakes are these Small Lemon Cakes with Cream Cheese filling. It’s sweet, lemony, easily hand-held, and has a cream cheese filling. No yeast skills are required to make this recipe. Plus, everyone loves it!
5. Mardi Gras King Cake
Image and recipe by Barbara Bakes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Number of Ingredients: 14
The crown-shaped King Cake is a cake made from brioche or sweet roll dough. Braided and baked in a circular shape, then decorated with icing and purple-green-and-gold sugars. It includes a tiny plastic baby concealed in the dough. If you find this little ceramic baby, then good fortune will smile on you. Serve this with a chilled shake, and your family will go gaga over it.
6. Galette des rois (French King Cake)
Image and recipe by 1001 Voyage Gourmands
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 1 cake
Number of Ingredients: 9
Enjoy the gourmet tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras with this French King Cake, which features an almond filling baked in a bean. Bake it for your family and friends. The more pieces you eat, the more likely you will get the golden crown and be crowned king of the day. You can also use hazelnut or chocolate syrup as a topping.
7. King Cake with Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Filling
Image and recipe by Sense and Edibility
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Number of Ingredients: 25
A cake is the centerpiece of the party. Ours is the famous King Cake with Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Filling. The cake is soft and moist, and the filling is sweet and delicious. This delicious treat, with its swirls of cinnamon and cream cheese filling, will delight your taste buds and impress your friends.
If a tiny plastic baby comes inside, someone wins a prize or gets to decorate the next cake. This cake is also an incredible gift for anyone celebrating Carnival!
8. King Cake Martini
Image and recipe by The Speckled Palate
Total Time: (infusion) 5 days
( Preparation) 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Number of Ingredients: 8
You won’t want to wait until Mardi Gras to make this King Cake Martini. It’s so easy! The base of this drink is homemade cinnamon-infused vodka, which is made when cinnamon sticks are placed in a jar with vodka for 5-7 days. When the vodka is infused with Cinnamon, mix it with hazelnut liqueur, white crème de cacao, coffee liqueur, and club soda. Gold sugar sprinkles atop the rim of the cocktail glass give this Carnival cocktail an extra festive look.
9. King Bundt Cake
Image and recipe by The Red Headbaker
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Number of Ingredients: 15
Celebrate Mardi Gras with a festive King Bundt Cake. Made in the tradition of the classic pastry, this fun bundt cake is filled with cinnamon and sugar blends and finished with a sugared vanilla frosting and colorful Mardi Gras sprinkles. This yummy cake will be the talk of your celebration!
10. Vegan King Cake
Image and recipe by Tin and Thyme
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Number of Ingredients: 10
Celebrate the Epiphany with this simple and delicious French classic. This galette des Rois (king cake) has a light, flaky puff pastry to encase a luxurious homemade almond frangipane filling. Garnished with festive candied fruits and a touch of icing sugar, this delicious King Cake is the perfect winter bake. This vegan version of galette des rois has a filling of almond frangipane. Serve this with salted caramel sauce, and you’ll wonder why you have never tried this.
11. King Cake Pops from King Cake Leftovers
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16-20
Number of Ingredients: 6
Are you worried that you have baked more cake than required and leftover? Well, fret not. I have something special for you. Try these delicious cake pops.
These cake pops are moist, fluffy, and delicious cake on a stick. It is so easy to make that even a child can make it. You don’t need to spend money to order a starter for your party. Instead, you can easily prepare cake pops at home using the leftover cake. And guess what? Kids love it.
12. Traditional King Cake
Image and Recipe by The Stay at Home Chef
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 1
Number of Ingredients: 16
If you’ve never had king cake before, it’s time to experience this delicious treat. King cake is a Mardi Gras tradition, celebrating the Three Kings’ arrival in Bethlehem. This recipe has all of that traditional flavor so that anyone can enjoy it. With mixtures of lemon and vanilla in the dough alone, the aroma will make you go crazy. A spiced cake filled with tasty preserves and topped with a glaze? Yes, please!
13. King Cake with Caramel Crunch
Image and recipe by Food and Wine
Total Time: 17 hours
Servings: 10-inch cake
Number of Ingredients: 22
Are you planning a Mardi Gras party? If you’ve ever had a king cake, you know it’s a tasty addition to the celebration. This Cake with Caramel Crunch is a sweeter twist to the traditional King cake. This cake is known for its buttery texture. With flaky croissant dough and brown sugar, it’s no wonder why this version became such a quick favorite!
14. Cream Cheese Stuffed King Cake
Image and recipe by Lauren From Scratch
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Number of Ingredients: 25
This cream cheese stuffed cake is the best king cake, trust me. The cinnamon dough is moist and infused with hints of citrus flavor. Each bite starts with the punch of that strong cinnamon and ends with a sweet cream cheese filling. Then, when you think it can’t get any better, you sip coffee and experience a hint of sweet lemony icing. The taste of this cake will forever change your life.
15.King Cake Frappuccino
Image and recipe by Thrifty Jinxy
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1
Number of Ingredients: 6
Mardi Gras is a great reason to surprise your friends with your culinary skills, and this recipe for an all-new king cake Frappuccino is here to get you in the spirit of celebrating. Enjoy this delicious blend of colorful sprinkles, vibrant brown sugar flavor, sweet vanilla cake, milk, and ice. Top it off with vanilla whipped cream, a festive mardi gras sugar topping, and a crunchy muffin topping. If you want to entertain and serve your guests a special cocktail this Mardi Gras, this is the drink for you.
Mardi Gras is the perfect holiday to break out your blenders, mixers, and large pots. From a festive king cake to a King Cake flavored Frappuccino, here are 15 top indulgent Mardi Gras recipes. You can prepare any of these recipes a day or two in advance up to the point of finishing. I hope you try and enjoy these Mardi Gras recipes and receive accolades from everyone!
Don’t forget to share this blog with your friends and loved ones.
If you loved these ideas, you can use the Pin image below and save this article on your ‘Dessert recipes’ Pinterest board.
