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

During an Original Cajun Food Tour, guests will be treated to lengthy tales about the history of the Acadian people, with opportunities to dine on local staples like gumbo and king cake throughout the day. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025

Remember, whoever finds the baby gets to wear the crown, but also has to buy next year's king cake and a newspaper subscription for your bestie. —Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

The king cakes at Cypress Grill are available for pre-order or walk-out. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 4 Mar. 2025

Ana also compiled this list of where to find a king cake in Austin. —Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for king cake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache