When Carnival season comes around, it means the return of one of New Orleans’ tastiest treats — king cakes.
As King’s Day kicks off, many of the city’s most famous bakeries turn to shipping their legendary cakes out, spreading the Mardi Gras season joy across the country. However, Bywater Bakery is one of the few local shops that opts out.
“We tried shipping king cakes once, but FedEx and Mardi Gras have very different ideas about timing,” the bakery shared this week on Facebook, explaining their decision not to mail their popular cake.
“Somewhere between the sorting facility and the delivery truck, the sugar gets confused, the icing slides, and the baby starts questioning its life choices,” Bywater Bakery’s post read.
The post continues, saying Bywater Bakery’s cakes are best enjoyed closer to home, before the sugary sweet has a chance to melt.
“Our king cakes are happiest fresh, close to home, and surrounded by people who plan to eat them immediately. Put one in a box for a long journey and the magic gets grumpy, the sugar sulks, and Mardi Gras loses its sparkle.”
Bywater Bakery’s beloved traditional king cake is a modern take on the classic that mixes cream cheese, butter and brown and powdered sugars.
Opened in 2017 by Chaya Conrad, the bakery started out serving only king cakes and quickly expanded to serve breakfast and lunch, along with an array of baked goods. These days, the bakery has expanded beyond traditional cake, adding a growing variety of flavors ranging from sweet to savory fillings. A new crawfish option is ready for hungry revelers this sesason.
Conrad opened the bakery after spending seven years as bakery director for Rouses. She also previously worked as a bakery manager for Whole Foods in New Orleans before moving to the company’s Austin headquarters to develop recipes.
While working at Whole Foods in New Orleans, Conrad developed the Berry Chantilly Cake that became a cult favorite. She now bakes several of her own versions of the Chantilly cakes at Bywater Bakery.
