See how a King Cake is made at Lilah's Bakery
It's that time of year for King Cakes!
(Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times)
In 2021, Mardi Gras will look different without the presence of parades and balls, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the season will taste just as sweet.
King cake production is rolling on. Local bakeries and retailers are steadfast in providing everything needed to invoke the spirit of revelry in homes throughout the Mardi Gras season.
“Mardi Gras is definitely not canceled,” said Sarah Lowder, co-owner of Lowder Baking Company. “Even though we can’t gather like normal, we can still celebrate. We can send Mardi Gras cheer to one another—send a king cake to a friend, neighbor, or office. We can wear purple green and gold throughout the season. We can decorate our homes with festive decor and our front doors with Mardi Gras wreaths. And we can still celebrate our wonderful Louisiana culture with both our neighbors and long-distance friends. Ship some king cakes and send some Louisiana love!”
A king cake is a traditional Mardi Gras pastry that is said to have been brought from France to New Orleans in 1870. The spiced bread is decorated with purple, green, and gold-colored icing representing justice, faith, and power—colors of the jewels that adorned a crown in honor of the baby Jesus on Epiphany.
Lowder Baking Company is just one place that honors the religious event and Louisiana history and culture through king cakes. In Shreveport-Bossier City, several popular king cake producers are prepared to once again make and sell thousands of king cakes to customers near and far for Epiphany (Jan. 6) and the Mardi Gras season—with Fat Tuesday landing on Feb. 16, 2021.
Today, king cakes may be sweet or savory or come as traditional or in extreme varieties. Whatever the preference, these Shreveport-Bossier City king cake suppliers have revelers covered all season long.
(Remember to look out for the plastic Christ baby inside!)
Julie Anne’s Bakery and Café
King cakes are sold year-round at Julie Anne’s Bakery and Café though this is the busiest season for local sales and out-of-area shipments.
More than two dozen King cake flavor options are on the menu with popular flavors including cream cheese, strawberry, strawberries and cream, black forest, chocolate chip and cream cheese, and brown sugar pralines.
The tasting experience doesn’t stop with king cakes. Julie Anne’s Bakery and Café will continue serving meals for dine-in and carryout customers throughout the season. Stop in to peruse and purchase other treats in the bakery case, such as their fan favorites petit fours, meringue pies, and sticky buns.
Julie Anne’s Bakery and Café is located at 825 Kings Hwy. in Shreveport. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
King cakes come in various sizes and shipping is available. For a full menu and to place orders, call (318) 424-4995 or visit julieannesbakery.com, and follow facebook.com/JulieAnnesBakery/.
Lilah’s Bakery
Lilah’s Bakery in the Highland neighborhood will reopen for the season from Saturday, Jan. 2 through Thursday, Feb. 18.
Of the lengthy list of fillings offered the most popular requested are plain cream, cinnamon ‘n’ cream cheese, pralines ‘n’ cream, and Bavarian cream.
Lilah’s Bakery is located at 1718 Centenary Blvd. in Shreveport. The regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
King cakes will be available for retail sale in stores throughout Shreveport-Bossier City. Also, a limited selection of king cakes will be available for purchase and pick-up at Lilah’s Bakery's new sister business, Lilah’s Broadmoor Bunnery.
Lilah’s Broadmoor Bunnery, which opened in December, is a custom cinnamon bun and coffee bar located at 3950 Youree Dr., Ste. 200 in Shreveport. Lilah’s Broadmoor Bunnery’s regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Through the Mardi Gras season, the bakery will be open seven days a week.
King cakes are sold in various serving sizes. Gluten-free cakes in medium size may be requested in the popular flavors. To view a full menu and place orders, call Lilah’s Bakery at (318) 676-1407 or visit lilahskingcakes.com.
Lowder Baking Company
Lowder Baking Company’s king cake kickoff will begin at 9 a.m. on Epiphany, Wednesday, Jan. 6. King cakes will be sold until Mardi Gras, Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The bread and pastry shop’s most popular flavors are the traditional brown sugar cinnamon and original cream cheese, which will be offered regularly. Other specialty flavors will rotate weekly, which include blueberries and cream and strawberries and cream—made with fresh fruit—and the pecan pralines and cream—made with Louisiana pecans and fresh house-made pralines. And save room for the chocolate chips and cream king cake.
In addition to the sweet treats, two savory options are on the menu— the muffuletta king cake and the BBQ pulled pork king cake. Savory cakes are sold frozen to reheat at home.
Other Mardi Gras specialty items on the menu include pastries, sugar cookies, cookie cakes, and a festive-themed latte. Masks, beads, tiaras, hats, and more are available for purchase for at-home revelry.
Lowder Baking Company’s full menu of regular bread and pastries will continue to be available through the season, including take-and-bake chicken pot pies.
To top it off, Lowder Baking Company will celebrate its two-year anniversary on Jan. 12. The Lowder family will commemorate the occasion by gifting a free birthday cookie to customers with any purchase during bakery hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lowder Baking Company is located at 4019 Fern Ave., Ste. 500 in Shreveport. Lowder Baking Company's hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
King cakes are available in regular and mini sizes. Walk-ins and same-day orders are welcome—though pre-orders are recommended—and shipping is available online. Online pre-ordering will available starting Jan 2 by calling (318) 562-1150 or place shipment orders online at lowderbaking.com. For updates, follow facebook.com/LowderBakingCo.
Bonus experience: Take the scenic route to the bakery across the Bayou Pierre Bridge, located at Ockley Drive at Fern Avenue, which will soon be converted from a Christmas theme to Mardi Gras. Recently, the bridge was restored as a community project powered by Lowder Baking Company and SPAR and made possible with the help and donations of many neighborhood volunteers. Mardi Gras decorations are funded by Lowder Baking Company, with festive color light bulbs donated and installed by Night Lighters Christmas Lighting. The neighborhood Christmas Light Committee members responsible for coordinating decorations are Ragan Terzia, Jade Tridico, Josh Jennings, and Sarah Lowder.
Southern Maid Donuts
The beloved local and historic donut shop is continuing the tradition of baking king cakes during Carnival season.
In addition to Southern Maid Donuts’ regular assortments of sweet doughy goodness, king cakes will be sold in an assortment of flavors—Bavarian cream, raspberry, chocolate, cream cheese, and strawberry cream king.
Add to the cart a commemorative Southern Maid king cake T-shirt.
Southern Maid Donuts is located at 1409 E. 70th St., Ste. 116 in Shreveport. The regular hours are listed as 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Walk-ins are welcome. Shipping is available for king cake packages. Place orders online at southernmaidkingcakes.com or call (318) 524-3900. Follow on social media at facebook.com/SouthernMaidEast70thStreetShreveport.
Tubbs Hardware and Cajun Gifts
Tubbs Hardware and Cajun Gifts’ king cakes are on the shelves with cream cheese taking the lead and other flavors coming in the first week of January. They will be sold through the Mardi Gras season until they sell out, which is likely to span weeks past Feb. 16.
Popular flavors are the “Xtreme” cream cheese and the traditional. Other flavors include “Xtreme” cream cheese with blueberry or strawberry.
The retailer has two locations. In Bossier City, the store is located at 615 Benton Rd. and the hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The “Benton country location” is at 6100 Hwy 3 and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Tubbs also sells Mardi Gras and Cajun souvenirs and décor, including specialty beads and throws.
King cake shipping is available by calling (318) 746-0311. For more information, visit tubbshardware.net. Follow on social media at facebook.com/tubbshardware.
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