KING CAKE

GAMBINO’S BAKERY KING CAKE

I mentioned previously that we decided to start an end of winter tradition by embracing the KING CAKE— it’s a cake, more like a pastry really, with a plastic baby baked inside— if you get the piece with the baby in it— you are now THE KING for the year, and it’s your responsibility to get the KING CAKE next year.

We had dinner reservations at 111 Chophouse for Thursday night, the cake was promised to be delivered by Thursday from the fine folks at FedEx ™ but as the clock apprached 6:45pm and FedEx ™ scheduled delivery time being 4 we were more than a little concerned— it was starting to rain too— we have a bad history of FedEx ™ not putting packages in our covered delivery box but rather leaving it on the deck— and I wasn’t 1000% sure how this cake was packed— so with visions of coming back from the steakhouse to find a melted pile of cake we needed for the next day we cancelled our reservation. As Murphy’s Law would have it— the cake arrived about 10 minutes later.

The box was pretty heavy so I brought it inside and opened it— it was packed well, it would have been okay in the rain but the cake wasn’t cheap— the box was a window box and brightly colored. The cake ships unfrosted which was a good thing because it took a pretty good beating in transportation. I had to reform the cake which was fairly easy to do.

We frosted it the night of the event at about 7— everyone was coming at 8— and we set up a coffee station, had tea at the ready and cocoa. The crowd was a coffee crowd and we polished off two pots (regular if you’re interested— caffiene seems to have no effect on any of us in terms of coffee drinking- although I will admit if I get a coffee from the Bean Counter after 8pm I will not sleep for a day and a half— I don’t know what they put in it but it’s loaded.

We started cutting the cake at 8:30 and with the first seven pieces there was no sign of a baby— and there were about eight pieces left. Number One Son and his Wife were running late, and we were sending a piece to my mom who was unable to attend— but we were starting to get concerned that we had a defective one with no baby.

Number One Son arrived about 8:45 and the heartiest members of the Cake team dove in for a second extremely heavy piece— note for next year or anyone who wants to try this— DON’T use all of the frosting they give you— they give you about 50% too much— it’s a really nice pastry— ours was apple filled— but incredibly sweet to the point that I was getting that migraine that told me I was having sugar overload.

With four pieces left a couple of us dug in for another piece (myself included) and finally Number One Son found the baby— it was in the second to last piece! We dubbed him King and told him to start saving for next years cake.

It was a fun event, and another way to survive winter. We all agreed to making this an annual tradition.