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

The flavors of king cake lend themselves beautifully to breakfast treats. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026

Personal-sized king cakes and king cake lattes will be available in-store. —Sonia Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026

The challah king cake loomed large over the evening. —Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026

Whoever receives the slice with the plastic baby inside has the duty to either buy a new king cake or host a party for the next year. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 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