During her first carnival season in Baton Rouge, transplant Babeth Schlegel noticed something different.
As she tells 225 in a feature from the current issue, the French king cake tradition she had grown up with in her native Lyon, France, was nothing like the one transpiring in south Louisiana.
Here, tri-colored king cake rings, many stuffed with cream cheese and fruit filling, emerged in rectangular bakery boxes around the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, and didn’t disappear until Ash Wednesday. By then, king cake fans had gorged on a succession of pastries in offices, schools, at parties and at home.
In contrast to Louisiana’s indulgence, France approaches the king cake ritual with characteristic Old World restraint. Growing up, Schlegel and her family had savored just one annual handmade galette des rois, purchased from a local patisserie.
The classic French king cake was made of puff pastry and stuffed with almond filling, or frangipane. Another version common in France is a brioche ring with decorations on top that make the cake resemble a crown. (That’s the one that Louisiana’s Mardi Gras king cake derives from.)
But Schlegel’s family was loyal to the puff pastry-almond type, and would serve it with champagne or sparkling wine in the late afternoon. The tradition also included Schlegel’s mother’s collection of ceramic fèves, tiny figurines that were tucked inside the galettes des rois from year to year, and discovered by one lucky recipient.
“The galette des rois was very special, and we only had it once right around the Epiphany,” recalls Schlegel, who moved to Baton Rouge with her American husband, Rob, in 2001 after he was transferred to the Capital Region for work.
Missing the classic French king cake after moving stateside prompted Schlegel to figure out how to make it at home. She found a doable French recipe, converted it to American measurements and modified a few steps to make it achievable as a busy professional.
Read the full feature, which includes a list of where you can find traditional king cakes in the area, as well as a recipe. Send your comments to editor@225batonrouge.com.
