King Cake

Submitted by britbanana t3_118f848 in massachusetts

My husband and I moved from Oregon 2 years ago (Virginia before that) and are having the hardest time finding a king cake here in New England. We love North of Boston and both years I've tried to find one around fat Tuesday but every bakery I ask seems confused by the concept. Is this not a thing in New England?

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[deleted] t1_j9gpwhv wrote

[deleted]

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britbanana OP t1_j9gtmed wrote

This blows my mind. When I was growing up, we would have them in school and it was always a competition to see who would get the baby.

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[deleted] t1_j9gzcch wrote

[deleted]

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LackingUtility t1_j9hshcg wrote

It's a Biblical tradition, dating back to King Solomon - you bake a baby into a cake and then attempt to cut it in half. At least, that's how ChatGPT described it.

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bostonboy08 t1_j9hxi7n wrote

Moved from Texas 5 years ago, my wife has a friend mail one to us. You won’t find it anywhere up here!

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rjoker103 t1_j9jrrbr wrote

Ahhh. Brought back memories of when I tried King Cake at a pot luck for the first time and got the plastic baby in my slice. I still have no idea what it means.

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arglebargle_IV t1_j9gsdfv wrote

Coffee Time Bake Shop in Salem -- their web site says they're making King cakes right now.

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Vi0lentByt3 t1_j9h6ow5 wrote

I can second this as i am half way through their cinnamon king cake and idk if the other half will make it through the night

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Elkaydee t1_j9hwspw wrote

It's bad luck to eat king cake out of Mardi Gras season. You'd better eat it tonight to keep us all safe.

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NightWalk77 t1_j9h64p2 wrote

This is a pretty good bakery. I've bought carrot cakes and had carrots cakes bought for me. Very yummy. I love carrot cake. It is the TRUE KING or QUEEN of cakes not you made up one!!!! Coffee is good too.

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JJ2o2o t1_j9k65kr wrote

They also have good pÄ…czki (says the Polish guy).

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TheDeadlySpaceman t1_j9h1brt wrote

I used to live in Louisiana. The best king cake I’ve had since moving to Boston was overnighted from New Orleans.

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AN-I-MAL t1_j9icdb3 wrote

I highly recommend Meche’s Donuts in Lafayette. Not dry, super tasty, lots of flavors available. Haven’t had one from New Orleans to beat it yet.

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joseph-mama t1_j9gusxv wrote

They have them in Wegmans in Burlington, saw them yesterday.

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pro_auto_advisors t1_j9h3rli wrote

Second the wegmans recommendation. The one in Northborough had it last week!

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pauljsaint t1_j9gz5an wrote

There’s a little place out in western mass. In the town of charlemont. It’s called Wells provisions. The couple that owns it is from New Orleans. They make king cakes and lots of other New Orleans specialties.

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oceansofmyancestors t1_j9hr1ut wrote

Oh wow, my uncle lived in Charlemont! His daughter went to school with 5 other kids in her grade, and she was the only girl. It’s crazy to see the town mentioned lol

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AutomationBias t1_j9gtjqk wrote

It's as much a thing in New England as Mardis Gras. I've only ever seen King Cake on the Gulf Coast (e.g. New Orleans).

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britbanana OP t1_j9gur68 wrote

I'm from Northern Virginia and my husband is from Richmond and we both had it throughout our childhoods and in college. I wonder why it's gained more popularity there than here.

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mynameisnoteliza t1_j9hkzck wrote

I'm from northern VA too so I just want to corroborate what you're saying for the other commenters. Every bakery and grocery store has king cakes out the 2 weeks leading up to Mardi Gras.

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britbanana OP t1_j9honao wrote

Thank you! I was starting to question my own memory

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Tacoman404 t1_j9jgp7d wrote

Oh shoot now I understand why we don’t have it here. Our Fat Tuesday celebration isn’t based much at all on the New Orleans/French one. It’s based on the Polish one so we have Pączki instead.

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poprof t1_j9j78o1 wrote

New England was settled by Protestants - Protestant culture still rules. Mardis Gras is connected to Catholic tradition preceding lent.

So I’d guess areas that were catholic/french catholic were more likely to celebrate.

I buy my king cakes online and have them shipped

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AutomationBias t1_j9jd5vp wrote

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have the largest Catholic populations in the country, so I guess it must be the French part that we're missing out on.

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Acrobatic_Resource_8 t1_j9jf1l7 wrote

I guess culturally the bigger question is whether or not there’s a big pre-Lent Carnival season in Ireland. If not, there’s your answer.

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Tacoman404 t1_j9jh1qn wrote

Likely. Our Fat Tuesday foods have more Polish roots with PÄ…czki.

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hillza87 t1_j9jz8ih wrote

New England has a quite a sizable French Canadian population and many of us have connections with the Louisiana French via Le Grand Derangement, i.e. Cajun is the anglicized word for Acadian.

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FaustusRedux t1_j9gw31f wrote

My wife's baking one right now. We just always make our own.

(Notice the royal "we" there? She does it all, I just eat it.)

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anotherbabydaddy t1_j9gt4zy wrote

Not really a thing here. I have them shipped from New Orleans

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Current-Photo2857 t1_j9gucj7 wrote

In western MA there’s Randall’s Farm in Ludlow that sells them.

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Linux-Is-Best t1_j9h2v0a wrote

They have so many little goodies there.

Between Randall's Farm in Ludlow, Atkins Farms in Amherst, Sapowsky Farms in Grandby, and McCray's Farm in South Hadley, those were always good places.

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Icy-Neck-2422 t1_j9gpw6x wrote

Check out the Boston sub - there were a few posts on this recently.

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Adriennesegur t1_j9gqjrt wrote

This is not a thing in NE. What’s a king cake? I hope it’s delicious.

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_peteyfourfingers_ t1_j9gsqwz wrote

It’s a giant donut cake with a ceramic baby Jesus hidden inside for you to break your tooth on.

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pleasedtoseedetrees t1_j9i0b3z wrote

Baby Jesus and a broken tooth? Sounds like a wonderful treat.

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saguarosally t1_j9ibtov wrote

It’s supposed to bring good luck. It also brings a lighter wallet because if you get the baby Jesus you’re buying/making the next cake.

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Huffingfluff t1_j9j5i0e wrote

It is a thing in Portuguese communities in Massachusetts. I had it every Christmas with the Portuguese folks. It’s called bolo rei instead of king cake. If you get the baby Jesus or the nut, it means you get to host next.

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Adriennesegur t1_j9jo16m wrote

I like the idea of a cake with a prize inside! I had heard of baking a bean or a radin into a cake as a “ who gets it “ kinda thing before - I just wasn’t sure just it was called/what the practice was for. Til.

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21stCenturyJanes t1_j9ho3v5 wrote

Mardi Gras isn't really a thing in New England. I mean, we know what it is and all but the real traditions aren't observed here.

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chancimus33 t1_j9hycyh wrote

Is Mardi Gras like New Orleans St Patty’s Day? It should be a national fuckin holiday ked. Holidays ranked in order of importance:

Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Ash Wednesday, St Patty’s Day, Larry Bird’s Birthday, Every other holiday.

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dogmom603 t1_j9gvcam wrote

You can get them delivered from Brennan’s in NOLA.

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houseonthehilltop t1_j9gxj5t wrote

I think I saw one at either Wilson Farms In Lexington - if you give them a call maybe they can help you

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mslashandrajohnson t1_j9h66nc wrote

This sounds weird but a very similar flavor, with almond filling, is at Trader Joe’s: their Almond Kringle. It’s a flat pastry, over a foot in diameter, in the baked goods section. In a flat waxed paper bag, folded and stickered shut on the open end.

My friend used to order a king cake from Louisiana and have it shipped. That’s the other option.

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tweedlefeed t1_j9hk25r wrote

Coffee time in Salem has it, they also have Pączki. I have never had New Orleans style king cake so I gave no idea if it’s a good example. The paczki were tasty, the king cake looked a little weird.

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ijustwantedtobrowse t1_j9hrqxe wrote

I just had some (not awesome) king cake from the cafe at Carney hospital while my husband had an outpatient procedure. Not that I suggest you go to a hospital to get some… lol

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edith-bunker t1_j9ik9rn wrote

What??? I’m a Masshole and missing out… on cake?!! I’m angry right now! We need a king cake, godammit!

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Acrobatic_Resource_8 t1_j9jerib wrote

My wife and her bestie have a Mardi Gras tradition every year now where they attempt a box mix king cake. Something always goes wrong with the rising process, and it ends up looking terrible but tasting great.

But yes, they are almost nonexistent and unheard of here in the Bay State. I’ve come to the conclusion that Mardi Gras never took off here because February weather here is the opposite of party time. Either cold, gray, damp, and dead or colder, gray, frozen, and angry. Perfect gumbo weather though!

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britbanana OP t1_j9jptay wrote

That sounds like a fun tradition! I think I'll have to take up a similar tradition although I'm a terrible baker.

You might be onto something with that explanation. With this weather though, maybe Mardi Gras has a chance for a surge in popularity.

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Ken-Popcorn t1_j9gwx0y wrote

I never heard of them until I visited NOLA

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obadiaowl t1_j9h2i13 wrote

i have never heard of this. my wife had coworkers at a job that did do it but that was recently never growing up.

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KL421 t1_j9i9qzc wrote

Also had to Google what this is, but! I saw this at Union Square Donuts in Somerville this weekend (well, a Mardi Gras Cinnamon Roll).

I've known this as Gallete des rois, but does not look like the Mardi Gras version. This version is a flaky pastry with almond filling 🤤 Made it once. Also, Clear Flour Bakery in Brookline sells this version...super delish 😊

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idungoddaname t1_j9imeqt wrote

Lol a dispensary was giving out some to customers today, grew up here my whole life and never knew about them until today.

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fairywakes t1_j9iqmqp wrote

OMG! I lived in Virginia Beach for years. There was absolutely zero anything at all for Mardi Gras anywhere today. I’m sorry but does it not exist up here? I get it New Orleans is far away but damn!

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forrealz42 t1_j9js0xh wrote

I had a similar situation when I moved here from NW Ohio where there is a large Polish population and I missed Paczkis. Grocery store Paczkis are just donuts. Coffee Time in Salem does house-made, hand-rolled Paczkis.

They also make King Cake. I haven't had one, but I have seen them and they look amazing.

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unclebuck02134 t1_j9jtznx wrote

Had this. Same experience. Hilarious, confounded by the entire thing every placed I called

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Bostnfn t1_j9ljhxy wrote

We got rid of the king some 250 years ago.

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krissym99 t1_j9h7scz wrote

We order them online. But in recent years I've seen them at Star Market.

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human8060 t1_j9hfxo7 wrote

Bakeries around me have them on display. I'm south of Boston.

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mynameisnoteliza t1_j9hksq4 wrote

Saw them at market basket

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britbanana OP t1_j9hosyr wrote

Went into one today and had to ask the bakery manager who looked at me like I was crazy

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Quasimodo-57 t1_j9hlr32 wrote

I think if you ordered one from the bakery in Whole Foods they’d make you one. I might be remembering another store though.

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Oniriggers t1_j9huguh wrote

Maybe an Italian bakery. I remember a place in Lawrence across from Tripolis that would make something similar around Easter.

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DaisywithAsideofSass t1_j9jt76b wrote

The Italian Kitchen? That one closed down about 5-6yrs ago.

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Oniriggers t1_j9k1a7l wrote

O nooo they made some awesome food. The huge arancini and chicken parm was the perfect meal. Do they still do the St Anthony festival?

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DaisywithAsideofSass t1_j9myyh3 wrote

They sold the riceball (and crispelli) recipe to Crispelli USA-they operate out of a food truck that's typically at Ted's Stateline store in Salem, NH or Mann's Orchardin Methuen but yes they're also at the feast. My husband and I still pick up Crispellis and riceballs about once a month...still delicious! They also make various other foods...which are equally delicious.

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Comfortable_Plant667 t1_j9i0dwl wrote

I haven't had that since I was a tiny child. Looking at pics on google I can remember the taste, I didn't much care for it.

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ACheetahSpot t1_j9i7z89 wrote

Having a Southerner in my online baby group back in the day is the only reason I know what a king cake is.

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Frequent_Corgi_3749 t1_j9igkdb wrote

We had some at work today. Overnighted from Joe Gambinos Bakery. They were amazing. Would have eaten more but was busy with my paczki. Did not come with baby however…prob too much of a liability.

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whizpalace100 t1_j9jaw6l wrote

As you can see, not a New England thing, however, Harvey’s bakery in Dover, NH.

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Sodiumkill t1_j9k8ngv wrote

You might want to call the French Quarter restaurant in Downtown Crossing. Their head chef is from Lafayette.

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phonesmahones t1_j9k9f69 wrote

Never heard of such a thing, and I grew up here.

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theladythunderfunk t1_j9kig2t wrote

If you're north of Boston, be on the lookout for Revelry Food Truck; they did a Mardi Gras event at Idle Hands in Malden on Saturday and were selling king cakes whole and by the slice

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Outrageous-Pause6317 t1_j9lboqn wrote

Born and raised in central New England between Boston and Worcester. Today is the first day I have heard of a king cake ever.

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GigiGretel t1_j9lwffl wrote

Lifelong New Englander. I only learned what a King cake was when I watched the creepy show on Apple TV called "Servant" where Leanne makes one. I had never heard of it before then. That said, I think I saw one in Market Basket in Cheslea on Saturday. No idea if it contains the baby.

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Linux-Is-Best t1_j9h19bo wrote

Opinion:

I searched to see what a "King Cake" was, and it looks much like a "Bundt Cake."

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KL421 t1_j9i94v9 wrote

Anytime I see the word Bundt, I remember watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"..."bunnnnn-dt, buuuunt, bunddddt" followed by a confused expression 😅

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