Carnival season’s signature dessert is coated in just as much history and pageantry as its costumes and parades.
In the newest episode of 225’s Between the Lines, we’re examining Baton Rouge’s own distinct king cake culture from the perspective of two of its longtime makers: The Ambrosia Bakery on Siegen Lane, which has been making king cakes since the early ’90s, and Gambino’s Bakery, which brought king cakes to its Baton Rouge location in the ’80s.
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“We have an incredible staff,” says Felix Sherman, co-owner of The Ambrosia Bakery. “We use what we call the one-team effect. Everybody here can do just about everybody else’s job.”
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We watched Sherman’s assembly line, as the team cut a 100-pound ball of dough, stuffed it with filling and finally boxed and loaded the confections on the shelves. And the secret touch?
“People aren’t happy if they don’t have a baby inside their king cake,” Sherman says. “People expect it. The whole reason for putting the baby in the king cake is because the person who gets it has to purchase the next one. That tradition needs to stay solid.”
To see the whole process and get some commentary on local king cake traditions, check out this month’s episode of 225 Magazine’s Between the Lines.