king cake

noun

plural king cakes

: a sweet ring-shaped cake traditionally with a symbolic bean or figurine of the infant Jesus inside that is served from the Epiphany to Shrove Tuesday

Of course, no one does king cake quite like New Orleans. It's decorated in the colors of Mardi Gras—purple (to represent justice), green (faith) and gold (power)—as chosen by one of the city's first Mardi Gras organizations, or krewes. A token or trinket—usually a plastic baby symbolizing the infant Jesus—is hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby may be crowned king or queen of the party; more important, that person is responsible for bringing the cake to the next gathering.

—Noelle Carter

Examples of king cake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Generally speaking, king cakes are part cinnamon roll, part coffee cake, and usually iced with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2025

Kids get a week off from school, neighborhoods are overflowing with parades, and dessert is almost always king cake. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2025

The cult-favorite apple and goat cheese king cake isn't available for a second year in a row. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025

Three Kings Day kicks off this weekend, and with that comes all kinds of king cakes made and sold, waiting to be eaten. —Rosalind Bowling, The Tennessean, 5 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above