It’s a conversation had every year across Louisiana starting just after Christmas all the way through Mardi Gras week. “Who makes the best king cake?”
While everyone has a different answer, our GMA team tried many Acadiana favorites to find out why each one is so popular.
And whether Frosted, braided, filled, deep fried, or traditional, we’ve found there is no wrong way to do a king cake.
Champagne’s says theirs are the best because of the family history behind their recipe.
“We started in 1926, my grandfather started the business,” says owner Richard Champagne. “We are in the third generation, and ever since my grandfather started and my parents, its always been about doing the best for our customers.”
But maybe you prefer your cake braided once it’s filled. If that’s the case, another bakery known most of the year for its wedding cakes may be your spot.
Crystal Wedding’s makes king cakes they say aren’t too sweet and in more flavors than you can imagine.
“We offer probably over twenty different flavors on our Waitr, but you can get seven different flavors at the store,” says owner Crystal Williams “There are a lot of good ones.” Just a “taste” of those offerings include pralines and cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, Bavarian cream, chocolate caramel pecan, cinnamon.
And although there is always the question “is it really king cake” Meche’s has a popular option for the doughnut lovers.
And of course, you can get them filled too.
But if you want something traditional, like French traditional, then you’ll want to head to Poupart’s.
“Its two layers of puff pastry with an almond cream in the center of it. It’s light and flakey, not as sweet,” says Poupart’s owner Patrick Poupart. “My parents came from France to start the bakery so that’s the first king cake they were making and then the American king cake we make has a brioche dough.”
The consensus, there is no “best” king cake. But there is, we’ve found, a little something for everyone. And that’s what Louisiana and the Mardi Gras season is all about.
