King cakes have a long history in New Orleans. The custom of eating king cakes during Carnival season began with the Christian celebration of the Epiphany, or the 12 days after Christmas in which the “three kings” brought gifts to Christ. The tradition of placing a plastic baby in the cake stems from the Christ child. New Orleanians have made the tradition their own by baking cakes in honor of the three kings with purple, green and gold decoration. Each year, bakeries and restaurants in New Orleans offer the city a variety of king cakes to suit different tastes. Whether new to king cakes or a seasoned veteran, everyone has their favorite cinnamon-laden pastry. Here are Wolf Magazine’s top king cake picks:

TRADITIONAL KING CAKES

Manny Randazzo’s | Randazzo’s traditional king cake is known for its “famous white creamy icing” and light cinnamon taste. The king cake is decorated with purple, green and gold sprinkles.

Haydel’s | This king cake is made up of a light yeasty cinnamon dough, topped with carnival colored sugar crystals.

ALTERNATIVE KING CAKES

La Boulangerie | This cake is a traditional french galette des rois- light puff pastry with a frangipaei filling. It does not include carnival coloring like most king cakes.

Sucré | Known for its decor, Sucré’s king cake is made up of brioche dough with cinnamon sugar added, and whipped cream cheese folded into the dough. It is covered in a light glaze and Mardi Gras-colored confectionary glitter, giving it a unique look.

KING CAKE ON A BUDGET

Rouse’s | This cake is made up of a cinnamon dough, sprinkled with purple, yellow and green, sugar crystals, and your choice of filling.