Carnival Means King Cake

From Twelfth Night though Mardi Gras Day, king cake becomes somewhat of a local obsession here in Louisiana. And over the last few years, it seems like the Carnival treat is simply on steroids! Across the state, bakers have expanded the design from the original brioche dough ring decorated with purple, green, and gold sugar to create cakes featuring every kind of filling – both sweet and savory.

No one knows more about king cake than Matt Haines, author of "The Big Book of King Cake." Matt uncovered amazing historical facts and chronicled the lives and cakes of 75 bakers while writing his coffee table tome.

For Martha Gilreath, king cake is more than just a seasonal treat. It represents a fresh start. In 2021, Martha co-founded her pop-up bakery Nolita, which serves up her signature king cakes. Today, she's the chef at The Chicory House in New Orleans' Garden District. She tells us her story of overcoming huge odds to find culinary success.

Finally, we meet Patrick Bordnick. Like Pavlov’s dog before them, Patrick's three canine companions have been conditioned to salivate whenever they encounter king cake. For nearly every day of the Mardi Gras season, Patrick and his pups sample a new cake and rate it. Patrick then posts their conclusions on his Instagram page, where the whole family enjoys a following.