Looking for King Cakes in Memphis? Here are 13 spots to find this Mardi Gras treat
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Mardi Gras season officially kicked off Jan. 6 — and that means King Cakes are here.
For those who might not be familiar with King Cakes, a sweet danish dough filled with cinnamon sugar, cream cheese or fruit filling is covered with vanilla icing and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. The person who gets the slice with the plastic baby inside becomes “king” for the day and is bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake.
It’s a fun and tasty tradition that can be enjoyed, not just in New Orleans, but across the country.
It used to be you had to make your own King Cake or order one from New Orleans, but now many Memphis bakeries are making this Mardi Gras treat.
What I love about the options across town is that each bakery is putting its own creative spin on this traditional cake.
Here are 13 places in Memphis to find a King Cake before Mardi Gras ends Feb. 13.
Take our advice: Place your order early. Most places have a limited number available, especially for Fat Tuesday.
Sweet LaLa’s Bakery
6150 Poplar Ave.; (901) 654-3646; sweetlalas.com
Sweet LaLa’s Bakery makes King Cakes for special orders. “We think what makes ours the best is our risen dough and made-from-scratch cream cheese custard filling with cinnamon,” owner Lauren Young said. Sweet LaLa’s King Cakes are approximately 10 inches and feed 15. The cost is $32. Orders should be placed at least 48 hours in advance. Email hello@sweetlalas.com to place an order.
Donut Hutt
1016 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 111, Collierville; (901) 861-4404; donuthutt.com
Donut Hutt is making several flavors of King Cakes. Choose from traditional cinnamon or one filled with your choice of cream cheese, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, lemon or Bavarian cream. Cakes are $25 for the traditional cinnamon and $29 filled. A limited number of cakes will be available in the case, but preorders are recommended.
La Baguette
3088 Poplar Ave.; (901) 458-0900; labaguettememphis.com
French bakery La Baguette has been making King Cakes for decades. The 12-inch King Cakes are made from danish dough and are available in classic cinnamon ($35) or in strawberry or cinnamon cream cheese flavored ($40). You should allow two days for special orders.
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Lucy J’s Bakery
1350 Concourse Ave.; (901) 257-9206; lucyjbakery.com
Lucy J’s Bakery in Crosstown Concourse is making King Cakes in both cinnamon pecan and cream cheese flavors. The King Cake is a special order item and comes in two sizes this year. The small (serves 12-16) is $18. The large (serves 24) is $35. They request a 48-hour notice for special order items.
Jacques Louise Bakery
734 Mt. Moriah; jacqueslouisebakery.com
Looking for a gluten-free King Cake? Jacques Louise Bakery has a brioche-based gluten-free cake that is not only fluffy, but layered with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. It is available with either a simple cream cheese or with a praline cream cheese filling. The cost is $40, and each cakes serves 8-10. Order 48 hours in advance. Pickup is available Tuesday through Friday at Snapdragon Floral, 734 Mt. Moriah.
Primas Bakery and Boutique
734 Mt. Moriah; (901) 352-4193; primasbakeryandboutique.com
Prima’s Bakery and Boutique makes a cinnamon cream cheese King Cake for special orders. It’s filled with orange and lemon zest with a thin ribbon of cinnamon cream cheese baked into the cake. A sweet vanilla glaze covers the top. The cost is $50. Rachel Mullen, who runs the bakery, is also making Mardi Gras-themed French macaron cookies, petit fours, doughnuts and iced sugar cookies. Orders should be placed online. A 48-hour notice is required for special order items, but Mullen recommends you order early to secure your desired pickup date and time.
Kay Bakery
667 Avon Road; (901) 767-0780
King Cakes at Kay Bakery are only available in the traditional cinnamon flavor. A special order item, this King Cake feeds 10. The cost is $12.99. Cakes are available in the case, but preorders are recommended.
The Ginger’s Bread & Co.
1613 Union Ave.; (901) 870-3927; thegingersbread.com
The Ginger’s Bread & Co. is offering King Cakes in two flavors. A traditionally decorated King Cake comes in a cinnamon sugar flavor and a praline flavor filled and topped with caramel and pecans. Each cake is made with a classic brioche dough. Choose from a large ($16) or a mini ($6) that feeds one or two.
St. Michael's Catholic Church
3863 Summer Ave.; stmichaelmemphis.com
Father Ben Bradshaw and his volunteer crew at St. Michael's Catholic Church will be baking King Cakes for Mardi Gras weekend. Cakes are available in Nutella, salted caramel, cherry and cookies & cream flavors. Each cake is $40. Orders can only be placed online. Pickup is Feb. 9 at the church.
Memphis Whistle
2299 Young Ave.; (901) 236-7136; memphiswhistle.com
Memphis Whistle, a cocktail bar in Cooper-Young, is making mini King Cakes that serve one or two people. Amanda Hicks, who owns the bar with her husband, Jef, makes the mini King Cakes from scratch daily using a cinnamon roll recipe from her childhood. She ices them with a homemade cream cheese icing spiked with a cinnamon-infused rum that Jef makes for the bar. The cakes are $10 each and feed two. They are available daily until they run out. Orders can be placed in advance.
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Carrington's Catering
7940 Fischer Steele Road, Cordova; (901) 481-4206; carringtonscatering.com
Carrington's Catering will be taking special orders for King Cakes. Each cream cheese-filled cake is about a 12-inch ring. Choose from flavors such as cherry, brown sugar cinnamon and apple. Owner Carrington Wise said she will also create cakes with custom fillings. Each cake is $35, and cakes can be picked up at Memphis Kitchen Co-Op. To order, text (901) 481-4206 or email info@carringtonscatering.com.
Blanchard’s Organic Breads
Instagram.com/blanchardsorganicbreads
Blanchard’s Organic Breads is making New Orleans King Cakes, as well as French Galette des Rois. The Galette des Rois is a hand-laminated puff pastry filled with an almond Frangipane. They can be sliced 8-12 ways. The cost is $56 with an almond baked inside, $10 extra if you would like a ceramic French baby baked inside. The New Orleans King Cakes are a milk bread with a Creole cream cheese and cinnamon-cardamom filling topped with a vanilla icing and naturally dyed sugars. The also feed 8-12. The cost is $48 with an almond baked inside, or $10 extra for the upgraded ceramic baby. Whole cakes are available by preorder only and should be ordered 48 hours in advance. Order on Instagram or Facebook at @BlanchardsOrganicBreads. If you’re not on social media, text (971) 284-2705. Pickup is at Joes Wines, 1681 Poplar Ave., Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Gibson’s Donuts
760 Mt. Moriah Road; (901) 682-8200
Gibson’s Donuts owner Don DeWeese credits their popular King Cake doughnuts to his son Britton. Britton makes these specialty doughnuts from the shop’s cinnamon roll dough. They will start appearing in the shop case at the beginning of February, traditionally about two weeks before Fat Tuesday. They are also available by special order.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: King Cakes in Memphis: 13 places to buy this Mardi Gras treat
