King Cakes in Newport Beach

King Cake in Huntington Beach

If you need a King Cake in Huntington Beach or Orange County, we might have your place.

The King Cake Story

This is the King Cake story as I see it. It may be wrong, but it’s the way my family passed on the tradition of King Cake in Huntington Beach when I was a kid. The King of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday if you don’t speak French or Cajun) is always a masked man named Rex. It is someone who is part of the secret Rex organization and the Krewe of Rex. As third generation Californian’s it felt odd that we were the only kids with a King Cake.

Mardi Gras itself stems from the Catholic tradition of fasting or at least not eating meat on Fridays from Ash Wednesday (The day after Fat Tuesday) to Easter Sunday.

The King cake was thought to have been brought by the French to New Orleans Louisiana around 1870. It was served to the King Rex at the biggest of American Mardi Gras celebrations. Today the King Cake goes beyond Catholic tradition or Mardi Gras and has become a piece of American Culture.

King Cakes In Huntington Beach California

Since returning to my home here in SoCal, finding a good King Cake has been a challenge. Honestly this is the first year we did not fly a backup out from Gambinos in NOLA. Even Whole Foods in the southern states has King Cakes, just not here apperantly.

Every year we hunt for a cake. I started my search a little French bakery on Bolsa that doesn’t make them. Sadly it is now out of business. Another french bakery in Long Beach said they had some when I called but sold out. The owner but they sell out every year. I won’t be an Early Bum for a King Cake. That would take away surf, ski or play time.

King Cake in Huntington Beach
King Cake in Huntington Beach

Finally we stumbled on The Great Dane Baking Company. Honestly we thought it was an expensive dog food bakery so we never stopped in. But then someone told us they had great cakes for party’s so we called about a King Cake. They said we were too early in the season. That made my wife about lose her stuff.

My wife thinks that you can eat King Cake from late January until Fat Tuesday. While they didn’t have any in stock they did say they could custom make one early for the same price. As you can see in the picture, the kids had robbed the decorations and half was gone before I could get a photo. Sadly the Great Dane Bakery is gone too.

The Baby of The King Cake

The Europeans added a little ceramic baby to the cake to symbolize baby Jesus. When the King Cake moved into mainstream culture the baby’s purpose changed. Today the baby represents luck and prosperity to whoever finds the baby in their cake. In our house they also have to provide the cake the next year. If you got the baby and you want to buy a King Cake in Orange County, pickings are slim but they are out there!

Happy Mardi Gras.

Feb 2021 – Editors Update to finding a King Cake in Orange County. The Great Dane Baking Company was acquired by “Butter and Creme” and no longer makes King Cakes. The Bakery in Long Beach is not closed so We are calling every bakery in OC and Long Beach to find one…

If you want to buy a King Cake in Huntington Beach, good luck, we haven’t found one. But if you want a King Cake in Orange County or Long Beach, here is the list of places that make them:
French’s Bakery 1170 Baker St B, Costa Mesa – Pre-Order Highly Recommended.
Renaud’s (Inside Gelsons PCH and 2nd – Call Ahead
Rendez-Vous Bakery – 3330 East Coast Highway, Corona Del Mar. – Taking orders in store for Large.
Whole Foods – Fashion Island Newport Beach Location – limited selection daily.

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