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

There are a few commonalities between the two, chiefly the abundance of alcohol consumption, the significance of costuming and the presence of king cake. —Carlie Procell, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Here are some parties, crawfish boils, king cake locations, and more for the holiday. —Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Feb. 2026

Traditional foods include king cake, paczki, and jambalaya, meant to use up fats in the home. —Chris Sims, IndyStar, 17 Feb. 2026

Of course, there’s the colorful king cake, the traditional New Orleans recipes like gumbo and jambalaya, as well as jubilant carnivals and parades. —Joseph Erbentraut, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2026

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