Here are 5 bakeries selling Mardi Gras king cake and paczki in metro Phoenix
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, on Feb. 21 marks a popular time to satisfy your sweet tooth before Lent.
In the United States, Pączki Day is celebrated on Fat Tuesday. Pączki are Polish doughnuts filled with jam, custard or other sweet fillings, and often dusted or glazed with sugar on top. Different variations exist, including the Midwestern bismarck doughnuts.
King cake is another popular treat associated with Mardi Gras. Louisiana-style king cake is typically shaped like a braided ring with purple, green and gold sugar on top. Like pączki, king cake can also be found in varied forms, such as the Rosca de Reyes sold at Phoenix panaderías on Three Kings' Day.
Traditionally, a baby figurine symbolizing Jesus is hidden inside the cake and whoever gets the piece with the baby must host the next Mardi Gras party or buy the next king cake.
If you're looking to get in the spirit of Mardi Gras, here are nine places in metro Phoenix where you can find king cake or pączki. To guarantee a cake, it's best to place an order in advance.
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Europa Pastry
Seven years after closing the family's longstanding cafe, husband-and-wife team Carl and Agnieszka Makowski reopened their retail shop. They make both king cake and pączki. People can expect a wider variety of pączki flavors than what they typically offer year-round.
Details: 7575 N. 16th St., Suite 23, Phoenix. 602-368-7148, instagram.com/europapastry.
Honey Moon Sweets Bakery & Dessert Bar
The O'Connor family bakery has large king cakes available for pre-order, as well as small individual cakes. Individual cakes have been selling out fast, so Honey Moon Sweets encourages people to pre-order if they want to pick up several.
Details: 606 W. Southern Ave., Suite 1, Tempe. 480-517-9520, honeymoonsweets.com.
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Baker Wee
This family-run bakery in west Phoenix makes custom king cakes, available for preorder. Baker Wee is known in the neighborhood for its specialty cakes, decorated cupcakes and cookies.
Details: 4263 W. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix. 602-843-0112, baker-wee.com.
Barb's Bakery
Barb's Bakery has been around for decades and you can find both king cake and pączki here. The bakery asks that people place their orders at least two days in advance. In 2017 Barb's Bakery won Best King Cake.
Details: 2929 N. 24th St., Phoenix. 602-957-4422, barbsbakery.com.
Bashas'
Bashas’ has more than 50 supermarkets throughout Arizona, making it a reliable place to find king cakes and pączki, which are made from with lemon, raspberry or custard filling.
Details: bashas.com/locations.
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Priscilla Totiyapungprasert contributed to this story.
Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mardi Gras 2023: 5 bakeries for king cake and pazcki in Phoenix, Tempe
