Instead, make a small hole in the bottom of the cake once it’s cool and place a small plastic baby inside. If you'd prefer not to include a baby in your cake, use a pecan half or orange wedge ...

The plastic baby is meant to symbolize baby Jesus. Whoever finds the baby — or whatever hidden item is baked or embedded in the cake — in their slice is crowned “king” for the day.

The cake can include a tiny plastic toy baby; the person who finds the doll in their slice gets good luck for the next year — and is responsible for providing the king cake at the next celebration.

King cake is only eaten during the Carnival season — which begins 12 days after Christmas, on Epiphany, or Twelfth Night — and ends on Mardi Gras Day.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about two hours. 5. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 24-inch-long rope.

The 2017-founded, Deptford-based brand is synonymous with kitsch, cartoonish motifs – like cute waving cats, pencil-drawn dogs and tiny birds in nests – so naturally Chopova settled on a similarly ...

King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus.