King cake biscuit, beer and cocoa bombs? Where to get creative Mardi Gras treats on Coast
The parades and balls are canceled, so this year Mardi Gras in South Mississippi is all about the king cake.
And Coast residents have more varieties of king cake and its many incarnations to choose from, whether they want the standard cinnamon or strawberry cream cheese cake covered with sprinkles, an elegant French pastry cake, or even Mardi Gras coffee and king cake beer.
Yes, king cake beer
“I’ve got a shirt that says ‘you can’t cancel king cake,’” said Gina Prater, sales manager at Chandeleur Island Brewing Company in Gulfport.
In addition to their house Mardi Gras brew, each weekend through the Carnival season they produce a limited run of beer using actual king cake from Le Bakery in Biloxi. This weekend it’s Samoas — the Girl Scout cookie — king cake porter with notes of caramel, chocolate and coconut, she said.
“We release them by Friday and they’re usually gone by the end of the weekend,” she said. They’re available only in the taproom.”
Surprise outside and inside
Some of the most creative cakes for 2021 come from Dolce Bakeshop in Long Beach, where people can take home a Harry Potter king cake divided by the Hogwarts Houses, an Elvis cake with bananas and peanut butter, or a king cake that you cut to discover what color sprinkles are hidden inside
Their “Friends” theme cake is based on the popular television show, down to the green M&Ms, an Oreo and dinosaur candies for Ross and a chocolate guitar and smelly cat edible sticker for Phoebe.
Layers of goodness
She came so close to winning the “Halloween Baking Championship” on the Food Network and now Renee Loranger of Bay St Louis is creating decadent Mardi Gras cakes and cupcakes.
Her king cake Doberge is six layers of vanilla cinnamon cake filled with a cream cheese pastry cream, then iced in cinnamon Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with an icing drip and colored sugars.
She makes a similar cinnamon swirl king cake cupcakes to order.
A little king cake, please
Sweet Enchantments is offering king cake cheesecakes, with a traditional king cake bottom and a brown sugar cheesecake on top, “that seeps into the king cake, similar to a bread pudding,” topped with cream cheese icing with Mardi Gras sprinkles.
The full size is 9 inches, and a mini i 4 inches. The Ocean Springs business also has keto/gluten-free king cake for those trying to stick to an eating plan during Carnival, and king cake hot cocoa bombs and king cake macaroons for those who aren’t.
Crazy B’s Coffee & Confections on Market Street in Pascagoula also stocks the cases with king cakes, mini cakes and bites this time of year.
For those who want to surround themselves with king cake, Three Little Foxes Soap and Candle Co. at Menagerie on Market in Pascagoula is selling its own king cake candles, wax melts and air fresheners.
Puff pastry makes it a standout
This year French Kiss Pastries in downtown Ocean Springs is baking a traditional French king cake for Mardi Gras.
“Known as a Pithivier or a Galette de Rois, this frangipane filled puff pastry is melt-in-your-mouth delicious,” the bakery post says.
The king cake variation dates back to 14th century France, where it was traditionally eaten on Epiphany.
King cake in a biscuit
Greenhouse Biloxi is known for its savory biscuits, and for Carnival season the restaurant near the Gulf Coast Mardi Gras Museum in downtown Biloxi is celebrating with king cake biscuits each day.
Sample one, like the apple cinnamon biscuit with sweet fluff, icing and sprinkles, or order an entire biscuit king cake.
A millionaire without winning the lottery
It’s been around a few years, but the Millionaire king cake at Palace Casino in Biloxi is a winner with its creamy filling of Bavarian custard or cream cheese, its swirls of chocolate and caramel topped with nuts.
Pastry chef Elena Jackson and her staff make 14 flavors and a variety of icings daily, such as raspberry, pineapple and turtle. The selection varies by day, but you can order ahead at the cafe bakery to get your favorite.
Other festive flavors
Colorful Mardi Gras latte that “Tastes just like a king cake” is on the menu at Jacked Up Coffee Bar in Biloxi.
Save the ride to New Orleans and line up for Dong Phuong king cakes at Waveland Pharmacy, the Pharmacy in Diamondhead and Worth Repeating Home Goods in Bay St. Louis.
Fleur de Lis Gourmet Bakery in Gulfport also makes a French king cake with all-butter puff pastry along with their best-selling praline pecan with cream cheese.
Know of other great Mardi Gras king cake specialties on the Coast this year? Tell us about them at mynews@sunherald.com.
Who makes your favorite king cake?
Vote in our 2021 Best King Cake on the Mississippi Coast poll:
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
