What's a "King Cake" in Cajun Country?

At Betty’s RV Park we’ve partaken of a plethora of “king cakes” in the recent weeks.  So, I decided to find out a little more about what this cake represents.   I’m so enjoying learning about Cajun culture:  people, history, language, and culinary traditions of this group of overt a million Acadians, the Cajuns, who live in Acadiana, the Cajun country of southwestern Louisiana.

Abbeville, home of Betty's RV Park, is about 18 miles south of Lafayette

In many countries throughout the Christian world, the “king cake” is traditionally served during the Christmas season, from Christmas Eve through the Epiphany on January 6^th to commemorate the time from the birth of Jesus until the visit of the Magi (the 12^th night after His birth).   Here in Cajun country the "king cake" is also traditional to commemorate the Mardi Gras season, which extends from the Epiphany (12th night)  until Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before the start of the Lent.

The traditional Cajun "king cake" is a round or oval-shaped cake decorated with the colors of
Mardi Gras:  purple, green and gold.  In 1872, New Orleans was visited by Russian Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff, who suggested the colors:  purple represents Justice, green represents Faith, and gold represents Power.                                                         

Inserted into the cake before it's baked is a (usually) plastic baby representing the Baby Jesus.  The tradition is that, as the cake is consumed at parties given during this Mardi Gras season, the person who finds the baby Jesus in his piece is responsible to host the next party!    Every day is a party day at Betty's; so the tradition here is that the person who finds the baby Jesus is responsible for buying the next "king cake!"  I think we're now up to about 5 "king cakes' during our daily happy hour.

Of course, as with so many traditions, there are almost as many variations as there are Cajuns!  Generally speaking, the traditional cake, Recipe, is actually an artisan bread, with many of the traditional Cajun cooking ingredients, like raisins, pecans, bourbon, brown sugar, spices . . .

At our happy hour gatherings the "king cake" servings are accompanied with libations (from non-alcoholic beer to all varieties of wine to mixed drinks and straight shots), great conversation and lots of laughter and camaraderie . . .