History of Mardi Gras King Cake + Cupcakes

I got the baby!"

Whoever gets the cupcake with the plastic baby gets a year of good luck and the honor of bringing the cake next year. Some people have actually swallowed the plastic object to avoid the burden of throwing next year's party or buying the cake!

Brief History of the Mardi Gras King Cake + Cupcake

The traditional King Cake is round in shape like a donut with a hole in the middle. It is decorated with the traditional Mardi Gras colors of green, gold and purple. The tradition of placing a bean in the cake was a way of picking a mock King for the Mardi Gras event.

A King Cake is usually filled with sweet fruit or cheese. The cake is finished with Mardi Gras decorations like beads, masks, confetti, candy and other embellishments in the traditional holiday colors.

Dating back to the 12th century, the King Cake began in France. The cake would be made of the eve of January 6th to celebrate the visit by the Three Kings to the Baby Jesus. In the 18th century the King Cake was brought by the French when they settled in Louisiana, notably New Orleans. In the 19th century, the King Cake later became more elaborate and established as a Mardi Gras tradition.

The traditional cake has its roots in Northern France. An almond-paste-filled pastry puff cake filled with frangipane called "Gateau des Rois." However, the more popular King Cake is the southern France "Couronne" made with sweetened, egg-enriched brioche dough. The Couronne is decorated with coarse sugar crystals shaped in the form of red and green glazed stemmed cherries. The cake is topped with an apricot glaze. The New Orleans version of the French Couronne is made with cinnamon and decorated with green, purple and gold sprinkled and iced rather than glazed.

Originally, a fava bean was hidden inside the King Cake after it was baked. Whoever picked the slice of cake with the bean, which later became a small plastic baby was the benefactor of a year of good luck. However, some would call that act of good forune a mixed blessing. The so-called winner became obligated to throw the next year's party and/or bring next year's King Cake.

Mardi Gras Cupcake Decorations by Shop Bakers Nook

Mardi Gras Plastic Cupcake Coins


These Mardi Gras coins are perfect to use a accent to your Mardi Gras themed cupcakes. Six (6) coins per order. Two (2) of each color per order.

Mardi Gras Cupcake Toppers

Mardi Gras cupcake picks. Perfect for cupcakes.
Six (6) picks per order Two (2) of each color.

Plastic Baby Figures for King Cupcakes

King Cake Babies. A very popular custom still celebrated for Mardi Gras is the making of the "King's Cake". A plastic baby is baked inside the King Cake, and whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must buy the next King Cake, or throw the next party!. Each order contains 6 newborns. These babies are also the perfect babies to use to place inside King Cakes.

Mardi Gras Cupcake Toppers

Mardi Gras themed mask cupcake toppers with streamers in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: grren, purple, green and yellow. Four (4) picks per order.

Mardi Gras Cupcake Wrappers

This copper colored cupcake wrapper has fleur de lis cut into the cupcake paper . Perfect for your Mardi Gras themed cupcakes with too! Twelve (12) wrappers per order.

All cupcake supplies pictured above available online at Shop Bakers Nook.com

"Queen of the Carnival" Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Truth be told, these cupcakes were marketed as Princess cupcakes. What the heck. A crown is a crown. When in Rome....Since it's Mardi Gras, they are perfect for the Queen of the Carnival!

Source: instructions from Wilton Website

Tools:

• Standard muffin pan
• Standard White Baking Cups
• Cooling Grid
• Tip: 3
• Tip: 18
• Disposable Decorating Bags
• Standard Coupler
• 8 in. Angled Spatula

Ingredients:

• Lemon Yellow Icing Color
• Leaf Green Icing Color
• Violet Icing Color
• Rose Icing Color
• Buttercream icing
• Your favorite cupcake recipe

Makes: Each cupcake serves 1.

Step 1

Bake cupcakes in White Standard Baking Cups and cool completely on Cooling Grid.

Step 2

Prepare Buttercream Icing recipe and ice cupcakes smooth with white icing using Spatula.

Step 3

For crown, tint 3/4 cup icing with Lemon Yellow Icing Color. Lightly mark the crown's points on cupcake with toothpick. Using a zigzag motion, pipe top of crown with yellow icing and Open Star Decorating Tip 18. Pipe double line to create base of crown.

Step 4

For jewels, tint small amounts of icing with Leaf Green, Violet and Rose Icing Colors. Pipe dots evenly on crown with Round Decorating Tip 3 using green, violet and pink icings.

Step 5

Pipe name on cupcakes with pink icing using Round Decorating Tip 3.

Decorated Mardi Gras Cupcakes by Wilton

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Instructions from Wilton Website

Displayed on the Cupcakes ´N More® Dessert Stand, each treat features the dazzling colors of the day, topped by costumed candy revelers. Complete the scene with traditional beads, masks and noisemakers.

Tools:

• Standard muffin pan
• Smiley Face Candy Mold
• Leaf Cut-Outs™
• Tip: 2110 (1M)
• Parchment Triangles
• Decorator Brush Set
• Rolling Pin
• Roll & Cut Mat
• 6 in. Cookie Treat Sticks
• Gold Foil Standard Baking Cups
• Cupcakes 'N More® 23 Count Dessert Stand
• Ruler
• Embroidery scissors
• Glue gun
• Paring Knife
• Assorted Mardi Gras masks
• Beads
• Bows
• Craft block
• 8 in. of 1 1/2 in. wide ribbon

Ingredients:

• Violet Icing Color
• Kelly Green Icing Color
• Lemon Yellow Icing Color
• Rose Icing Color
• White Candy Melts®
• Garden Candy Color Set
• Primary Candy Colors Set
• 24 ounces Ready-To-Use White Rolled Fondant
• Buttercream icing
• Green Color Mist™ Food Color Spray
• Yellow Color Mist™ Food Color Spray
• Violet Color Mist™ Food Color Spray
• Dark Green Colored Sugar
• Yellow Colored Sugar
• Pink colored sugar
• Lavender Colored Sugar
• Gum-Tex™

Makes: Each cupcake serves 1

Step 1

In advance: Make candy faces. Tint portions of melted candy skin tone using orange color from Primary Set and black using black from Garden Set. Mold faces without sticks, filling cavities 1/2 full. Refrigerate until firm. Also: Make fondant hats and masks. Tint 6 oz. fondant each in violet, green, rose and yellow. Add 1 teaspoon Gum-Tex to each fondant color. For hats, roll 3 cone shapes, 1 3/4 x 1/2 in. wide, tapering to a point. Flatten slightly. Attach to heads with melted candy. Using toothpick, score lines across hats to resemble fabric; bend down points. Roll 3/8 in. fondant balls and attach to points with melted candy. Using melted black candy in cut parchment bag, pipe eyes and mouth; let set. For masks, cut 1 1/4 in. diameter fondant circles; cut each in half. Using paring knife, cut curve on straight bottom and 2 small eyeholes. Attach to faces with melted candy. Cut feathers using smallest leaf Cut-Out; trim off bottoms for side feathers. Score vein lines using toothpick. Bend feathers; attach to faces with melted candy. For fringe, cut strips 1 1/4 x 3/4 in. wide; cut slits using scissors. Attach to faces with melted candy.

Step 2

Decorate dessert stand by attaching bead garlands to bottom row with hot glue.

Step 3

Bake cupcakes in Gold Foil Standard Baking Cups. Cool completely on Cooling Grid.

Step 4

Prepare buttercream icing recipe. With portions yellow, green, violet and rose buttercream icing in bags fitted with Open Star Decorating Tip 1M, pipe a swirl on each cupcake top. Spray tops with Color Mist; sprinkle with matching color sugar.

Step 5

Position faces on cupcakes. Position cupcakes on stand. For topper, cut craft block to a 2 in. diameter x 1 1/2 in. high circle. Wrap sides with ribbon. Attach masks and beads to cookie treat sticks with hot glue; insert in container. Attach beads to base and top of craft block with hot glue. Attach bows to masks with hot glue. Position topper on stand; secure with hot glue.

King Cupcakes by Kerry Trueman for Super Fat Tuesday

Recipe by Kerry Trueman via The Huffington Report

Eating Liberally's Kingmaker Cupcakes:

(Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini-cupcakes, and, yes, they're totally egg and dairy free for our vegan friends)

3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup agave, maple syrup, or honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Combine soymilk and cider vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk mixture, oil, agave (or maple syrup or honey), orange juice, zest, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually, stirring until the batter is smooth.

Fill cupcake liners or pan two-thirds full. Bake 20-22 minutes for regular cupcakes, or about 14 minutes for mini cupcakes, until the top springs back when pressed lightly. Remove cupcakes from muffin pan. Cool completely. Frost with citrus glaze (recipe below) topped with green, gold and purple sugar.

Citrus glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp orange juice
1 ½ tsp lemon juice

Combine sugar with cinnamon and citrus juices, stir till thoroughly mixed. Apply after cupcakes have cooled. Sprinkle green, gold, and purple stripes on top of the glaze. Insert plastic baby. Cast your vote.