Our Taste Test of Mail Order King Cakes 

Randazzo's is my personal favorite as a New Orleanian. I was surprised it wasn't included...

In Spain we eat what I understand is the original version of that (Roscón de Reyes) on January to celebrate Epiphany and conclude Christmas season. Ours has orange blossom water, candied fruits, almonds and thick whipped cream. It also has the hidden figurine thing, it actually has two of them, a good one and a bad one (usually a bean) if you get the bean u gotta pay for it but if you get the good one you get a crown!!

I used to order King Cakes every year from Gambino's. In my opinion, they're the best. My coworkers loved them !

Several Louisiana edits here: If you get the baby you have to buy the next king cake for everyone. Not all king cakes are brioche style. The first mardi gras was actually in Mobile. Pouparts was my second favorite cake growing up in Lafayette, the best ever is from Keller's Bakery 100+ year old recipe.

I used to order King Cakes for my co-workers from Cannata's in Houma, LA. They're DELICIOUS and come in many different flavors. I only stopped because my department got too big -- it was costing me a fortune to order multiple cakes, and nobody offered to help with the expense. Cannata's does a great job shipping the King Cakes; they come in a nice FedEx box that keeps them from getting crushed or broken. King Cake kringle from O&H Bakery in Racine, WI makes a decent lower-cost substitute, as mentioned by another commenter.

getting the baby means you buy next king cake also those look pretty bad.

Bridget looks Wonderful!

If you find the baby you have to buy the next King Cake. I also preo the cream cheese King Cakes.

I do love Gambino's King Cakes, and order them online now that I can't buy them in person. Never had either of the others but I might give Poupart's a try...

King Cakes in America started in Mississippi and moved to New Orleans, just as Mardi Gras started in Mobile Alabama and moved to New Orleans. King cakes are served all over the world in predominantly Catholic countries and are known by several different names and are served at different times of the year.

Dong fongs bakery is my favorite king cake. Then franks supermarket king cake. Gotta try them

A couple of things, 1, that is only one species of king cake, there are many other options. 2. That cost is shipped, which takes additional costs because it is perishable. 3. And those are good cakes, but there are a number of local bakeries that make better ones. 4. Left-over king cake (if it happens, makes an amazing bread pudding. 5. Don't pay any attention to "Major Old Lady...:

I live 1/2 mile from a Rouses! Love the store but agree about your testing!

After I went to college out of state, my mom would always send me a Gambino's cake. A little pricey for me to do myself, so now I make my own, but good memories and a yummy cake.

This is done in mexico too. if you find the baby, you're responsible for hosting a feast. There's usually 3 in each or just one

There is no way that laugh from the audience was planned at the beginning..lol

No matter how many times I hear it - "See you later alligator" still cracks me up.

I had never heard of King Cake in my entire life until now. So...it's a cinnamon round with frosting and sprinkles...and possibly a small (plastic?) figurine of baby Jesus baked inside.

My first king cake I had in Virginia... It was like a circular panettone down to the dried fruit and texture. I love panettone but that thing was awful. I moved to New Orleans and let me tell you the king cakes down there are something special shoot even the king cake vodka is delicious.

ATK, king of the youtube reruns...

Living in NYC all my life, I never even heard of king cake! And I’ve been to New Orleans a few times; shame on me. Looks delicious though.

They ought to try Cannats's snicker doodle king cake!!

... you get to bring the cake the following year, if you get the trinket (baby) So glad I saw this so I can bypass rouses, if it's dry. If it starts out dry, any leftovers will have to be soaked and baked in something else😞

Manny Randazzo's is the BEST!

Gambino's cake is $20 locally without shipping.

Bridget looks stunning, you rock

Randazzo’s are best in my local boy opinion. Whether it’s Manny’s, Caluda’s, Nonna’s or Camilla City. All four are Randazzo’s and all four are equally delicious when fresh. 🎭

I have never heard of a king cake before.

Looking good Bridget!

"In European countries, the coming of the Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus in celebrated annually twelve days after Christmas. Called Epiphany or the Twelfth Night, it is traditionally a time of celebrating and feasting. The French tradition of baking a special cake to honor the three kings, "A King's Cake," began in 1311. Today, King Cakes are enjoyed in Louisiana from the Feast of Epiphany until Mardi Gras day. A plastic or porcelain baby is inserted into the cake to symbolize the Baby Jesus. The cake is covered in sugar, specially colored in purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power - these are also the colors of Mardi Gras. In Louisiana, whoever gets the piece of King Cake with the baby in it must continue the celebration by hosting the next party and providing the next King Cake!" Taken directly from the Pouparts Bakery website. Also eat a Dong Phuong king cake from New Orleans East. Delicious.

I CANNOT believe you did not include Manny Randazzo's. I can only guess it is because he's only open during the season. :[

Usually I admire ATK videos but this one is a total failure. No mention of other types of king cake, not even a mention of other types of filing (cream cheese for example!). An INCORRECT statement about the significance of getting the baby (as others are noting) which only means you will buy the next king cake. No mention that many locals will buy a bakery king cake and ship themselves to avoid these high prices. Also, I realize this was pre-recorded, but WHY post in September about cakes only available (from good bakeries at least) in the Mardi Gras season. I'd rather see reviews of toothpicks than a light review and inaccurate information.

Looks like a cool selection because they all look slightly different and probably taste different too!

What? You didn’t try Manny Randazzo’s king cake? It’s the best!

I always thought Haydel was best in New Orleans

If Gambino's King Cake didn't win..... I would have unsubscribed. 😁

Bambino’s is definitely the best.

I miss them having the testers in an audience while they do the taste tests......

Looks just like a bonofide cinnamon roll to me. Just get you some cinnamon roll dough and you will be just great . TRUST ME!!

If you can make Cinnamon rolls you can make king cake.

Being from New Orleans...and lots of experience with these cakes...PLEASE contact me if you want to do this again...I can give you MUCH better options than what was shown. (And some history)

Doughy crap! It’s a pumped up plantation sized coffee roll.

Gambino's is good but it's just not cinnamony enough imo.

For Mardi Gras, it should be King Cake, Crawfish Boil, and Shrimp Poboy. No one i know from New Orleans really ate that much Popeyes fried chicken during Mardi Gras.

WRONG! If you get the baby you have the buy the next King Cake.

No, if you find the baby, you buy next year's king cake

Mardi Gras Day or otherwise know as Fat Tuesday has a moveable date and may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent, and always falls 46 days before Easter. The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th or the "Twelfth Night," also known to Christians as the "Epiphany." Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means "to show." Jesus first showed himself to the three wisemen and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake. The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870. In France it's called a galette des Lois. A King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy, crossed between a coffee cake and a French pastry that is as rich in history as it is in flavor. It's decorated in royal colors of PURPLE which signifies "Justice," GREEN for "Faith," and GOLD for "Power." These colors were chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany. In the past such things as coins, beans, pecans, or peas were also hidden in each King Cake. At a party, the King Cake is sliced and served. Each person looks to see if their piece contains the "baby." If so, then that person is named "King" for a day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake. Everyone has a favorite bakery version and can contain just a cinnamon sugar combination or be filled with bavarian cream, cream cheese, strawberry, blueberry, praline pecan etc. Worth the wait each year.

No mention of the King cakes that have cream cheese in the filling? Those are my favorite. It just melts in your mouth. Do another one and include those.

This is weird for September.

65 dollars?

I like the king cake from Dorothy Lane Market, and for me it's a lot cheaper than shipping one in from Louisiana 😋

I believe baby is symbol of baby Jesus

Only 3 cakes?

Never heard of king cake

Sorry, I would never spend that much on a large danish type cake.

LOL the least fav being from Rouses. Sounds about right.

Not a single one braided. What a disgrace

If you get the baby, you’re supposed to throw a party

A cake so good it's fit for a... Oh forget it! What a crummy pun.. off with his Head! 🤪

Mexicans do this tradition too.

Wise I could get King Cake without the baby but they won't send it to Mexico boowoo

Y'all didn't get a haydels king cake? A randazzo king cake? Anthony's? Shame...

You can't have too much cinnamon.

Gluten free funnel cake ????

Lol if you get the baby you have to buy the cake for the next year. Most people want to avoid the baby unless you are a little kid.

No manny randazzo's?? Or randazzo's family in general?? This test is null and void

I wish people would learn ALL the history behind other people's culture before they discredit, minimize, and marginalize cultural traditions. 🙄

A REPOST FROM NOVEMBER 9, 2019. GOOGLE IT. UGH!!!

this is a repeat.

You guys need to work on the timeliness of these posts. This information is quite useless for the next 4-5 months.

Stupid dangerous tradition and those who are too lazy to bake a cake need to eat pie. Let them eat pie