What are king cakes, where to find them in Bucks County, and why is there a baby inside?

Michele Haddon, Bucks County Courier Times
·2 min read

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is just around the corner.

This year, it falls on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

And while not everyone can take part in the extravagant festivities often celebrated in cities around the world, like New Orleans, many people choose to mark the occasion with traditional Mardi Gras foods.

One largely sought-after favorite is king cake.

What is king cake?

Fritz's Bakery, in Langhorne, sells king cakes made with hand-rolled sweet dough, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. It is then topped with colorful melted whipped cream cheese icing and comes with Mardi Gras beads and a tiny plastic baby on the side.
Fritz's Bakery, in Langhorne, sells king cakes made with hand-rolled sweet dough, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. It is then topped with colorful melted whipped cream cheese icing and comes with Mardi Gras beads and a tiny plastic baby on the side.

King cake is a sweet cinnamon pastry shaped into a ring and decorated with icing and sanding sugar in the offical Mardi Gras colors — green for faith, purple for justice and gold for power.

The cake’s name is derived from the biblical story of the three kings bringing gifts to baby Jesus, which leads us to the next question…

Why is there a baby inside king cake?

Hidden within every king cake, traditionally, is a little plastic baby — representing baby Jesus to some or simply a symbol of luck and prosperity to others. Therefore, to find the baby in your slice of cake is considered good luck.

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Where can you buy king cakes in Bucks County?

Fritz’s Bakery, Langhorne

360 Oxford Valley Road, Langhorne; 215-949-7995; fritzsbakery.com. Order ahead online or by phone. Pick-up Monday or Tuesday. Walk-ins also welcome.

Altomonte’s Italian Market & Deli, Doylestown and Warminster

856 N. Easton Road, Doylestown; 215-489-8889; 85 N. York Road, Warminster; 215-672-5439 altomontes.com. Pre-ordering 48 hours in advance is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Cakes are also available by the slice.

Rilling’s Bucks County Bakery, Warminster

868 E Street Road, Warminster; 215-357-3860; rillingsbakery.net. Order two days in advance by phone, email or in-person. Available through Tuesday.

Piazza’s Bakery, Levittown

20 Penn Valley Road, Levittown; 215-547-7266; piazzas-bakery.com. Order ahead at least 24 hours in advance.

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C & C Confections, Quakertown

582 S. West End Blvd, Quakertown; 609-954-1929; pinkbakerusa.com. Text or call to order two days in advance.

Brown’s Doughnut and Pastry, Dublin

164 N. Main St., Dublin; 267-871-5133; brownsdoughnuts.com. Order ahead online or by phone.

Cramer’s Bakery, Yardley

16 E. Afton Ave., Yardley; 215- 493-2760; cramersbakery.com. Order a day in advance by phone. Baby and beads not provided.

Crossroads Bake Shop, Doylestown

812 N Easton Rd, Doylestown; 215-348-0828; crossroadsbakeshop.com. Specializing in the French style and available in small and large. Order ahead by phone.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County bakeries ready for Mardi Gras with king cakes