Welcome to a New Year Macaroni KID fams!
With the new year comes new opportunities to find local family fun and I am looking forward to bringing you the latest and current events in Acadia and St. Landry parish to help you find fun things to do!
While the hustle and bustle of the holidays has come to an end, the fun has just begun for us Cajuns here in the boot as we gear up for the Mardi Gras season.
With that being said, we know what everyone has been asking for . . . King Cakes!! Who has them and who has the best? We're here to find out. In this month's edition for a Note from Your Publisher I'm on a quest to see who really does have the best to offer in Acadia and St. Landry Parish.
Who has the Best King Cakes?
The answer to that question really depends on who you ask. I've seen some heated debates on who really has the best among the King Cake retailers and even some who will argue what is deemed a 'real' king cake. As many palates may vary, I can say there are very few that have come to disappoint.
Let me start off with what I look for in a king cake. I have heard the argument that fried king cakes are just glorified donuts and don't count as a true king cake. While that may hold true to some, I'm here to argue that I generally prefer a fried dough to a baked one for this particular pastry. Also, it has to have icing. I don't like the graininess of sprinkled sugar when I bite into a king cake.
When it comes to this Cajun treat there are many different variations and so many flavor options to choose from. King cake providers generally have a little something different to offer from the next so I divided my choices into 3 category topics - My personal choice, Best Grocery Store choice and Best Bakery choice.
 |
Publisher's Choice
That brings me to my first choice which is Gautreaux's Donuts in Rayne. Last year I created a poll on social media asking who had the best in Acadia and St. Landry Parish and Gautreaux's had the majority vote. It's no secret why. This Mardi Gras season was my first time visiting their Rayne location but not my first bite of their well-known king cakes. They send them out to many local retailers in Acadia parish including Rayne, Crowley, and my hometown of Church Point at Vautrot's Mini Mart where it was practically a skip, hop and a jump away from my home down the road.
What I love: I prefer iced king cakes over sprinkled sugar, but sometimes there is so much icing drenching the cake that it renders it overly sweet and soggy. Gautreaux's, however, got it right with just the right amount of icing-cake ratio. Of course, you can request it with more or less icing and filling to your preference. The dough is absolute soft perfection with a subtle crisp exterior for the perfect bite. It was just as delicious as I remember. A nice little plus is you don't even have to brave the parades to get your hands on a prized Mardi Gras Cup because they come with the cake!
 |
Grocery Store Choice
Next on my list of favorites is the Cheesecake King Cake from Benny's Supermarket in Opelousas. While it may not be fried and the entire cake is iced, the way they do it just works because this king cake is a little piece of heaven! Cream cheese is my favorite flavor of all king cakes by far and this one tops them all.
What I love most: Even with the cake completely covered in icing it isn't overwhelmingly sweet. The dough is bready and the texture is on point - it's not too dry and doesn't completely fall apart when you eat it. If you can manage to snag one of these bad boys before they're gone count yourself lucky!
 |
Best Bakery Choice
This is a tough one because I find bakeries have the upper hand when it comes to deserts as it is their specialty. Here you will find hand-rolled and homemade king cakes that are made to perfection, where quality trumps quantity. This also means you can expect to pay a little more and probably need to order ahead to get the flavor you want, but it's worth it! My pick for Best Bakery Choice in King Cakes is Lou's Bakery in Washington.
What I love: The variety of flavor options from the Oreo King Cake to the Caramel Apple is out of this world! A Chantilly King Cake with fresh fruit, anyone? Yes, Please! And she does not skimp out on the filling. These babies are stuffed! Lou's does take a break after the busy holiday season so you will have to wait until January 10th to get your hands on this one but they're worth the wait.
However, if you simply can not wait to take one of these cajun delicacies home check out our King Cake Guide with a full list of local shops and stores where you can find the right king cake to meet your delight.
Are you a local business owner or organization? Sponsor one of our Seasonal Guides and have your business featured on Macaroni KID Acadia-St. Landry.
Our publication offers a valuable local resource to local families in the community to find fun events and family-friendly activities. Support from local sponsors and advertisers helps keep our publication free to our readers, supports local businesses, and allows us to continue serving and giving back to our community!
 |  |  |
