RUSTON, LA. (KTVE/KARD) — King Cake is a staple of Mardi Gras and a loved treat, but many people do not know some of the history of this dessert. We spoke to Desi Bourgeois, Owner of Heard Freighthouse Food Truck in Ruston, La., about his food truck’s in-house made king cakes and learned a little bit about its history.
“I grew up in Deep South Louisiana Lafourche parish, galliano, a small town south of New Orleans, and King Cake is kind of a thing there. So, it’s small Catholic communities and this is a seasonal item that I grew up with.”
King Cake is believed to have been brought to America, specifically New Orleans, in 1870. Desi told us how he takes the traditional treat he grew up with and adds a cinnamon roll twist to it to create his version of a King Cake.
“Our version of king cake is actually more true to what I grew up with being brown sugary “cinnamon-y”. Not all the fillings like cream cheese and strawberry and all that stuff that came along later. This is more of a representation of what I’m used to, or what I grew up with. It has brown sugar, cinnamon, and it does have cream cheese in it but not in the same way that you would think. We actually make a cream cheese filling for it with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon, and then it gets mixed in and rolled in.”
After icing the pastry, the King Cake is topped with the traditional Mardi Gras colors – green, purple, and gold – that represent justice, power, and faith. The King Cake brings joy to both those who make it and those who eat it!