Haute Sweets Patisserie has been baking king cakes for about a decade now, and with Mardi Gras right around the corner, Chef Tida Pichakron is keeping the tradition going strong.
Fat Tuesday, or the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent fasting for Catholics, falls on March 4 this year. The day of Mardi Gras is typically filled with feasting, partying and plenty of king cake, a ubiquitous symbol of the tradition. Associated with the arrival of the Three Kings, king cake is typically first served during the Feast of the Epiphany in early January and remains a fixture throughout the carnival season up to Fat Tuesday.
King cake has been an annual fixture at Haute Sweets for years now, and Pichakron has plenty of fond memories of the tradition.
“The thing with the culture of the King cake and it being at home, you would leave your butter knife in the box and so that way when you came back to it the next day, the butter knife is there and you get your little slice and then you put it back in there and then go about your day,” Pichakron told the Advocate in July. “So it’s kind of very nostalgic.”
Haute Sweets’ king cake comes layered with cinnamon and topped with vanilla icing and green, purple and gold-colored sugar. Neighbors can order a full, 10-inch king cake ($45) or a mini cake ($7) on Haute Sweets’ Square website. A plastic baby, central to the king cake tradition, comes in each full size cake and can be added on to mini cakes for a 50 cent charge.
Neighbors are encouraged to pre order their king cakes on Haute Sweets’ Square website. Pre-orders close on Feb. 25. Delivery is available in addition to pick-up.
