Our Taste Test of Mail Order King Cakes

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  • čas přidán 20. 09. 2020
  • Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges host Bridget Lancaster to a tasting of a Mardi Gras favorite, king cakes.
    Read our taste test of king cakes: cooks.io/3mtjDQE
    ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
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Komentáře • 108

  • @brentaltm
    @brentaltm Před 3 lety +6

    Randazzo's is my personal favorite as a New Orleanian. I was surprised it wasn't included...

  • @carlosbalaguer2602
    @carlosbalaguer2602 Před 3 lety +3

    In Spain we eat what I understand is the original version of that (Roscón de Reyes) on January to celebrate Epiphany and conclude Christmas season. Ours has orange blossom water, candied fruits, almonds and thick whipped cream. It also has the hidden figurine thing, it actually has two of them, a good one and a bad one (usually a bean) if you get the bean u gotta pay for it but if you get the good one you get a crown!!

  • @justdora440
    @justdora440 Před 3 lety +18

    I used to order King Cakes every year from Gambino's. In my opinion, they're the best. My coworkers loved them !

  • @miked9918
    @miked9918 Před 3 lety +23

    Several Louisiana edits here: If you get the baby you have to buy the next king cake for everyone. Not all king cakes are brioche style. The first mardi gras was actually in Mobile.
    Pouparts was my second favorite cake growing up in Lafayette, the best ever is from Keller's Bakery 100+ year old recipe.

  • @SarahRenz59
    @SarahRenz59 Před 3 lety +1

    I used to order King Cakes for my co-workers from Cannata's in Houma, LA. They're DELICIOUS and come in many different flavors. I only stopped because my department got too big -- it was costing me a fortune to order multiple cakes, and nobody offered to help with the expense. Cannata's does a great job shipping the King Cakes; they come in a nice FedEx box that keeps them from getting crushed or broken. King Cake kringle from O&H Bakery in Racine, WI makes a decent lower-cost substitute, as mentioned by another commenter.

  • @davidhardwick3816
    @davidhardwick3816 Před 3 lety

    I do love Gambino's King Cakes, and order them online now that I can't buy them in person. Never had either of the others but I might give Poupart's a try...

  • @frankstabler1920
    @frankstabler1920 Před 3 lety

    King Cakes in America started in Mississippi and moved to New Orleans, just as Mardi Gras started in Mobile Alabama and moved to New Orleans. King cakes are served all over the world in predominantly Catholic countries and are known by several different names and are served at different times of the year.

  • @dragonblood0012
    @dragonblood0012 Před 3 lety +21

    getting the baby means you buy next king cake also those look pretty bad.

  • @redfishking5031
    @redfishking5031 Před 5 měsíci

    Dong fongs bakery is my favorite king cake. Then franks supermarket king cake. Gotta try them

  • @apart-timeastronaut6530
    @apart-timeastronaut6530 Před 3 lety +20

    This is done in mexico too. if you find the baby, you're responsible for hosting a feast. There's usually 3 in each or just one

    • @TheWoodStroker
      @TheWoodStroker Před 3 lety +1

      I was thinking it looked like pan dulce.

    • @miked9918
      @miked9918 Před 3 lety +1

      In Louisiana, if you get the baby then you have to buy the next king cake to share.

    • @miked9918
      @miked9918 Před 3 lety

      Does yall get drunk the day before ash Wednesday in Mexico? lol it makes sense

    • @apart-timeastronaut6530
      @apart-timeastronaut6530 Před 3 lety

      Big families, gatherings are frequent and hosting isn't seen as a negative thing with us.

    • @apart-timeastronaut6530
      @apart-timeastronaut6530 Před 3 lety

      @@miked9918 na man you can't come in here calling mexicans a bunch of drunks when you're repping louisiana as a home plate.

  • @wayneleboeuf5040
    @wayneleboeuf5040 Před 3 lety +6

    A couple of things, 1, that is only one species of king cake, there are many other options. 2. That cost is shipped, which takes additional costs because it is perishable. 3. And those are good cakes, but there are a number of local bakeries that make better ones. 4. Left-over king cake (if it happens, makes an amazing bread pudding. 5. Don't pay any attention to "Major Old Lady...:

  • @cherylc.5109
    @cherylc.5109 Před 3 lety +2

    Bridget looks Wonderful!

  • @heathwatson1185
    @heathwatson1185 Před 3 lety +7

    I live 1/2 mile from a Rouses! Love the store but agree about your testing!

  • @Morftac
    @Morftac Před 3 lety +3

    After I went to college out of state, my mom would always send me a Gambino's cake. A little pricey for me to do myself, so now I make my own, but good memories and a yummy cake.

  • @flowerchild777
    @flowerchild777 Před 2 lety

    ... you get to bring the cake the following year, if you get the trinket (baby)
    So glad I saw this so I can bypass rouses, if it's dry. If it starts out dry, any leftovers will have to be soaked and baked in something else😞

  • @Skwertydogs
    @Skwertydogs Před 3 lety +18

    I had never heard of King Cake in my entire life until now. So...it's a cinnamon round with frosting and sprinkles...and possibly a small (plastic?) figurine of baby Jesus baked inside.

    • @adarateranroldan
      @adarateranroldan Před 3 lety

      It’s delicious. Try it some time.

    • @larrycj4382
      @larrycj4382 Před 2 lety +1

      It is made with a sweet bread dough, so not really a cake and similar to a cinnamon ring, but much sweeter due to the frosting. There are also some with fillings such as cream cheese & pralines - my fave. The better king cakes are made with brioche dough. 😋

  • @MsDawn0113
    @MsDawn0113 Před 3 lety +14

    If you find the baby you have to buy the next King Cake. I also preo the cream cheese King Cakes.

  • @Raechel11
    @Raechel11 Před 3 lety +2

    My first king cake I had in Virginia... It was like a circular panettone down to the dried fruit and texture. I love panettone but that thing was awful. I moved to New Orleans and let me tell you the king cakes down there are something special shoot even the king cake vodka is delicious.

  • @denicehebert2488
    @denicehebert2488 Před 3 lety

    They ought to try Cannats's snicker doodle king cake!!

  • @wotan10950
    @wotan10950 Před 3 lety +2

    Living in NYC all my life, I never even heard of king cake! And I’ve been to New Orleans a few times; shame on me. Looks delicious though.

    • @TiMalice2009
      @TiMalice2009 Před 2 lety

      I saw one yesterday on Long Island in Whole Foods

    • @larrycj4382
      @larrycj4382 Před 2 lety

      You can buy them during king season in Louisiana which runs from the Epiphany in January to Mardi Gras (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday). There are now a few places that sell king cakes in the NY area, but are not yet as authentic as the ones from LA, such as the filled variety - also not as fresh. I bake my own!

  • @kangaroomommy4457
    @kangaroomommy4457 Před 3 lety +2

    Gambino's cake is $20 locally without shipping.

  • @Ojb_1959
    @Ojb_1959 Před 2 lety

    Randazzo’s are best in my local boy opinion. Whether it’s Manny’s, Caluda’s, Nonna’s or Camilla City. All four are Randazzo’s and all four are equally delicious when fresh. 🎭

  • @jojo101181
    @jojo101181 Před 2 lety

    There is no way that laugh from the audience was planned at the beginning..lol

  • @hespergamp
    @hespergamp Před 3 lety +1

    "In European countries, the coming of the Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus in celebrated annually twelve days after Christmas. Called Epiphany or the Twelfth Night, it is traditionally a time of celebrating and feasting. The French tradition of baking a special cake to honor the three kings, "A King's Cake," began in 1311. Today, King Cakes are enjoyed in Louisiana from the Feast of Epiphany until Mardi Gras day. A plastic or porcelain baby is inserted into the cake to symbolize the Baby Jesus. The cake is covered in sugar, specially colored in purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power - these are also the colors of Mardi Gras. In Louisiana, whoever gets the piece of King Cake with the baby in it must continue the celebration by hosting the next party and providing the next King Cake!" Taken directly from the Pouparts Bakery website. Also eat a Dong Phuong king cake from New Orleans East. Delicious.

  • @judymiller1887
    @judymiller1887 Před 3 lety +1

    Manny Randazzo's is the BEST!

  • @paulkarch3318
    @paulkarch3318 Před 3 lety +2

    No matter how many times I hear it - "See you later alligator" still cracks me up.

  • @inproper3952
    @inproper3952 Před 3 lety +1

    I have never heard of a king cake before.

  • @Joseph1NJ
    @Joseph1NJ Před 3 lety

    ATK, king of the youtube reruns...

  • @leejobes9520
    @leejobes9520 Před 3 lety +7

    I CANNOT believe you did not include Manny Randazzo's. I can only guess it is because he's only open during the season. :[

    • @corrineweber1007
      @corrineweber1007 Před 3 lety +1

      Manny's is my personal 1 st choice.
      Really soft and like the icing.

    • @leejobes9520
      @leejobes9520 Před 3 lety

      Manny's is the local's first choice & obviously still a secret

  • @zukacs
    @zukacs Před 3 lety +4

    Bridget looks stunning, you rock

  • @crystalsabundance
    @crystalsabundance Před 3 lety +3

    Looking good Bridget!

  • @jacobhaseyes-povcooking1219

    Looks like a cool selection because they all look slightly different and probably taste different too!

  • @panolany
    @panolany Před 3 lety +4

    Being from New Orleans...and lots of experience with these cakes...PLEASE contact me if you want to do this again...I can give you MUCH better options than what was shown. (And some history)

    • @corrineweber1007
      @corrineweber1007 Před 3 lety

      Patrick....me too. I like Rouse's as a grocery store; but their king cakes are dry and only would be good to make bread pudding with. There are more and better bakeries that make fantastic king cakes at carnival time.

  • @whynot9068
    @whynot9068 Před 5 měsíci

    I always thought Haydel was best in New Orleans

  • @kennethstubbs292
    @kennethstubbs292 Před 4 měsíci

    Looks just like a bonofide cinnamon roll to me. Just get you some cinnamon roll dough and you will be just great . TRUST ME!!

  • @belletanis1388
    @belletanis1388 Před 3 lety

    What? You didn’t try Manny Randazzo’s king cake? It’s the best!

  • @mrbear1302
    @mrbear1302 Před 5 měsíci

    I miss them having the testers in an audience while they do the taste tests......

  • @zhp500
    @zhp500 Před 3 lety

    If you can make Cinnamon rolls you can make king cake.

    • @larrycj4382
      @larrycj4382 Před 2 lety

      If you do not live near a bakery to buy a king cake and you can bake, why not bake your own? There are plenty of great recipes out there. I bake my own delicious filled king cake each Mardi Gras. Why get a day-old king cake and pay $25 or more for overnight shipping (not including the cost of the king cake)??

  • @johnnyeatworld
    @johnnyeatworld Před 3 lety

    For Mardi Gras, it should be King Cake, Crawfish Boil, and Shrimp Poboy. No one i know from New Orleans really ate that much Popeyes fried chicken during Mardi Gras.

    • @bpalmer985
      @bpalmer985 Před 3 lety +1

      I also thought fried chicken was an odd choice.

    • @zhp500
      @zhp500 Před 3 lety

      or Etufette and Muffuletta.

  • @maryelmaguire3161
    @maryelmaguire3161 Před 3 lety

    Bambino’s is definitely the best.

  • @Grayald
    @Grayald Před 5 měsíci

    Gambino's is good but it's just not cinnamony enough imo.

  • @drusillahawk3800
    @drusillahawk3800 Před 3 lety +8

    Usually I admire ATK videos but this one is a total failure. No mention of other types of king cake, not even a mention of other types of filing (cream cheese for example!). An INCORRECT statement about the significance of getting the baby (as others are noting) which only means you will buy the next king cake. No mention that many locals will buy a bakery king cake and ship themselves to avoid these high prices. Also, I realize this was pre-recorded, but WHY post in September about cakes only available (from good bakeries at least) in the Mardi Gras season. I'd rather see reviews of toothpicks than a light review and inaccurate information.

  • @bayougtr
    @bayougtr Před 2 lety

    Doughy crap! It’s a pumped up plantation sized coffee roll.

  • @Tenacious-Tiger
    @Tenacious-Tiger Před 3 lety +2

    If Gambino's King Cake didn't win.....
    I would have unsubscribed. 😁

  • @Bradley7708
    @Bradley7708 Před 3 lety +2

    WRONG! If you get the baby you have the buy the next King Cake.

  • @elvisneedsboatsbennett2455

    No, if you find the baby, you buy next year's king cake

    • @emmaociee
      @emmaociee Před 3 lety

      I was about to comment this! It's really not much of a prize. LOL

  • @kimberlyvance6009
    @kimberlyvance6009 Před 2 lety

    Mardi Gras Day or otherwise know as Fat Tuesday has a moveable date and may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent, and always falls 46 days before Easter. The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th or the "Twelfth Night," also known to Christians as the "Epiphany." Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means "to show." Jesus first showed himself to the three wisemen and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake.
    The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870. In France it's called a galette des Lois. A King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy, crossed between a coffee cake and a French pastry that is as rich in history as it is in flavor. It's decorated in royal colors of PURPLE which signifies "Justice," GREEN for "Faith," and GOLD for "Power." These colors were chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany. In the past such things as coins, beans, pecans, or peas were also hidden in each King Cake.
    At a party, the King Cake is sliced and served. Each person looks to see if their piece contains the "baby." If so, then that person is named "King" for a day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake. Everyone has a favorite bakery version and can contain just a cinnamon sugar combination or be filled with bavarian cream, cream cheese, strawberry, blueberry, praline pecan etc. Worth the wait each year.

  • @O2life
    @O2life Před 3 lety

    This is weird for September.

  • @shiliela_rhymes_with_delilah

    No mention of the King cakes that have cream cheese in the filling? Those are my favorite. It just melts in your mouth. Do another one and include those.

    • @larrycj4382
      @larrycj4382 Před 2 lety

      My fave as well, especially with pralines! 😋

  • @dcpack
    @dcpack Před 3 lety +3

    Only 3 cakes?

  • @Jupe367
    @Jupe367 Před 3 lety +1

    65 dollars?

    • @larrycj4382
      @larrycj4382 Před 2 lety

      You pay for overnight shipping which costs much more than the king cake! And get a king cake that is day-old! I bake my own yummy king cake.

  • @doctorx0079
    @doctorx0079 Před 3 lety +2

    I like the king cake from Dorothy Lane Market, and for me it's a lot cheaper than shipping one in from Louisiana 😋

  • @charliemay9893
    @charliemay9893 Před 3 lety +2

    Never heard of king cake

  • @joytotheworld2100
    @joytotheworld2100 Před 3 lety

    Sorry, I would never spend that much on a large danish type cake.

  • @fallguy4209
    @fallguy4209 Před 3 lety +1

    If you get the baby, you’re supposed to throw a party

  • @Passionforfoodrecipes
    @Passionforfoodrecipes Před 3 lety +4

    A cake so good it's fit for a...
    Oh forget it! What a crummy pun.. off with his Head! 🤪

  • @dyvrssound5653
    @dyvrssound5653 Před 2 lety +1

    Not a single one braided. What a disgrace

  • @franceswelch5834
    @franceswelch5834 Před 2 lety +1

    I believe baby is symbol of baby Jesus

  • @allupinya5938
    @allupinya5938 Před 3 lety

    Mexicans do this tradition too.

  • @NicAyBear
    @NicAyBear Před 3 lety

    LOL the least fav being from Rouses. Sounds about right.

  • @MegaYourkidding
    @MegaYourkidding Před 3 lety

    Wise I could get King Cake without the baby but they won't send it to Mexico boowoo

    • @zhp500
      @zhp500 Před 3 lety

      King cake is not that hard to make. If you can make cinnamon rolls you are already there.

  • @djfiasco1029
    @djfiasco1029 Před 3 lety +15

    Y'all didn't get a haydels king cake? A randazzo king cake? Anthony's? Shame...

  • @dogbarbill
    @dogbarbill Před 3 lety

    You can't have too much cinnamon.

  • @Foodfightmike
    @Foodfightmike Před 2 lety

    No manny randazzo's?? Or randazzo's family in general?? This test is null and void

  • @allipi8571
    @allipi8571 Před 3 lety

    Gluten free funnel cake ????

  • @zacharyariail134
    @zacharyariail134 Před 3 lety

    Lol if you get the baby you have to buy the cake for the next year. Most people want to avoid the baby unless you are a little kid.

    • @corrineweber1007
      @corrineweber1007 Před 3 lety

      No, you have to buy the next king cake for your next get together.
      Like when someone brings a king cake to work and you get the "baby" ;
      you bring one next (like next week).
      Not next year. Cause we can't wait that long to have another piece. 😆

  • @nuggettflavor
    @nuggettflavor Před 2 lety

    I wish people would learn ALL the history behind other people's culture before they discredit, minimize, and marginalize cultural traditions. 🙄

  • @majoroldladyakamom6948
    @majoroldladyakamom6948 Před 3 lety +4

    A REPOST FROM
    NOVEMBER 9, 2019.
    GOOGLE IT. UGH!!!

    • @ilovegoodsax
      @ilovegoodsax Před 3 lety +3

      This is a first time for alot of us viewing this video. It ain't about you, so don't take it personal. 😒🙄

    • @tosht2515
      @tosht2515 Před 3 lety +2

      @Major Old Lady aka, Mom The fact that you don't know how multi-media corporations work is hilarious to me. ATK is using best practices that you obviously do not comprehend.

  • @EQ3282
    @EQ3282 Před 3 lety +4

    You guys need to work on the timeliness of these posts. This information is quite useless for the next 4-5 months.

    • @Northerngulf
      @Northerngulf Před 3 lety

      I agree, but for some reason I've seen king cakes in our local Winn Dixie in NW Florida in the last couple of weeks. I figured they found them in the freezer and decided to move them.

  • @altheamcnabb2829
    @altheamcnabb2829 Před 3 lety +2

    this is a repeat.

  • @jakespur6094
    @jakespur6094 Před 3 lety

    Stupid dangerous tradition and those who are too lazy to bake a cake need to eat pie. Let them eat pie