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Mardi Gras season officially kicked off on Jan. 6 — and that means king cakes are here.

For those who might not be familiar with king cakes, a sweet Danish dough is filled with cinnamon sugar, cream cheese or fruit filling and is then covered with vanilla icing and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.

The person who gets the slice with the 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 starts on Epiphany (also known as Three Kings Day) each year and runs through Fat Tuesday, which, this year, is March 4.

It used to be you had to make your own king cake or order one from New Orleans, but now many Memphis bakeries make them, as well. 

Here are six of my favorite places in Memphis to find a king cake. But, take my advice: Place your order early. Most places have a limited number available, especially for Fat Tuesday. 

Sweet LaLa’s Bakery

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 and cinnamon filling,” owner Lauren Young said.

Sweet LaLa’s king cakes are approximately 10 inches and feed 8 to 10 people. Orders should be placed at least 48 hours in advance, and the cost per cake is $40.

The bakery is currently doing a fundraiser where $5 of the cost goes directly to Make-A-Wish. Pickup dates are Thursday, Feb. 6, and Friday, Feb. 7.

The King Cake at Primas Bakery & Boutique. (Courtesy Primas Bakery & Boutique)

Primas Bakery and Boutique

Primas Bakery and Boutique in East Memphis makes a special-order cinnamon cream cheese king cake for $50. It’s flavored with orange and lemon zest, with a thin ribbon of cinnamon cream cheese baked into the cake and a sweet vanilla glaze on top. Each cake serves 12 to 18.

Rachel Mullen, who runs the bakery, is also making Mardi Gras-themed French macaron cookies, petit fours, doughnuts and iced sugar cookies as well as a Mardi Gras grazing board full of sweet treats.

Orders should be placed online, and a 48-hour notice is required. However, Mullen recommends you order early to secure your preferred pickup date and time.

La Baguette

French bakery La Baguette, in Chickasaw Oaks, has been making king cakes for decades. Its 12-inch cakes are made from Danish dough and are available in classic cinnamon ($35) or in strawberry or cinnamon cream cheese flavored ($40). Allow two days for special orders. 

St. Michael Catholic Church

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 almond flavors and are $40. Orders can only be placed online at stmichaelmemphis.org. Pickup is Friday, Feb. 21, at the Summer Avenue church.

Memphis Whistle

Memphis Whistle, a cocktail bar in Cooper-Young, makes 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 homemade cream cheese icing, which is spiked with a cinnamon-infused rum that Jef makes for the bar. The mini-cakes are $12 each. 

This year, Hicks is also making half-size cakes for $20 and full-size cakes for $40. Orders can be placed via direct message to Memphis Whistle’s Instagram or Facebook account. 

Jacques Louise Gluten-Free Bakery

A King Cake from gluten-free bakery Jacques Louise. (Courtesy Jacques Louise Bakery)

Jacques Louise’s gluten-free king cake allows those who need to live a gluten-free lifestyle to enjoy the Mardi Gras tradition. 

With a brioche bread base, Jacque Louise’s cake is not only fluffy but layered with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. It can be ordered with a simple cream cheese or praline cream cheese filling. The king cake, which has up to eight servings, is $45. Pick up is available Tuesdays through Fridays at Snapdragon Floral, on Mount Moriah Road in East Memphis, but cakes must be ordered 48 hours in advance. 

This Week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

What’s going to be hot in dining during 2025? I reported on five trends I noticed during 2024 and that I expect to continue into this year. 

Cameo and Mary’s B.O.T.E. owners Mary Oglesby and Paul Gilliam joined Holly Whitfield on Sound Bites to talk about the two new concepts they are opening in 2025. The trio also discussed the state of the service industry in Memphis.

In Food Files, Sophia Surrett reported on two Memphis restaurants opening locations Downtown: Crazy Coop and Cache 42. She also reported that coffeehouse chain Scooter’s Coffee will open a location on Sycamore View Road, and Waffle House is one step closer to opening a restaurant at Forest Hill-Irene and Winchester roads. 

Jody Callahan has been following the TikTok ban currently before the U.S. Supreme Court case. Memphis-area baker Chloe Sexton, one of the plaintiffs in the case, uses TikTok to support her online business, Chloe’s Giant Cookies. The 30-year-old was in Washington, D.C., last week for the oral arguments before the court. 

I reported on the changes happening at Lafayette’s Music Room. Despite online rumors that the Overton Square music venue is closing, Lafayette’s plans to remain open, though with reduced hours of operation.

And Joshua Carlucci’s $10 Deal this week is the burger at Lamplighter Lounge. He describes this $9 cheeseburger as “simple, straightforward and absolutely worth the visit.”

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

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