David D.
Yelp
This isn't the best king I've ever had.
Opening with a terrible pun may be getting old, but in my opinion it isn't as bad as this king cake was.
The history of king cake centers around Mardi Gras and the catholic epiphany; this version at Maurice's is the Louisiana version and comes with sugar coating in green, gold, and purple (representing faith, power, and justice). Its shape hints at the shape of a crown. Apparently, this traditional style dates back to the 1950s in New Orleans. The idea was that there's a baby baked in (in this case supplied not baked) and whoever finds it in their piece is king for a day, gets a prize, and/or has to host the celebration the following year. The origin of things baked into cakes is kind of interesting and dates back to France and Spain.
Anyway, I'm by no means an expert on king cakes, but, when compared to other bakery and pastries (the most obvious choice would be twisted dough pastries) I think I could compare this; overall, I was disappointed as the cake was dry and not as flavorful as I was expecting. Sweet overload is what to expect. One of the most disappointing things was the icing; I am not sure if it's supposed to be cream cheese-based but I could detect no hint of cream cheese in the supplied icing. It was overly sweet and forgettable-- the addition of cream cheese could have balanced the flavors. The ingredients list and type of pastry drew instant comparisons to cinnamon rolls, and, if it is that taste you are after, you'd be better served by putting a plastic baby in a cinnabon roll. Honestly, the most interesting things about this king cake were the way it looked, the novelty of icing it+adorning it, and the history of hidden objects in bakery.