All hail the Mardi Gras king cake

Sucre in New Orleans is one of many bakeries that leaves the plastic baby out of the king cake. If you've been in New Orleans for carnival season, or if you're lucky enough to taste a cake that has arrived in the mail from there, there's a pretty good

"I'm already sick of them," added Ryan Lubeley as he makes a cake. Of course these aren't just any cakes, these are king cakes. "It started in medieval times when they celebrated the feast of the three wise men, Three Kings [Day]," Murray explained.

If you've never had King Cake before, it's a bit hard to describe. It's similar to a cinnamon bun and similar to brioche. More like a bread than a cake. It's filled with a cinnamon-sugar glaze and topped with cream cheese frosting.

By Judy Walker, The Times-Picayune Chris Granger/The Times-PicayuneThe winner of the 2012 King Cake King contest is the pecan praline made by Manny Randazzo. Q: You have to taste the king cake at (name your favorite) bakery. A. No, I don't.

Sucre in New Orleans is one of many bakeries that leaves the plastic baby out of the king cake. If you've been in New Orleans for carnival season, or if you're lucky enough to taste a cake that has arrived in the mail from there, there's a pretty good