Thursday, February 20, 2014

King Cake smack (Updated with a new leader)

It's our favorite time of the year at JJ:  Mardi Gras.  15 years ago you couldn't buy a King Cake in this town at any price.  There are now a plethora of them for sale in the Jackson area.  A couple of friends and I decided to conduct a taste test of four of them.  


All King Cakes were purchased as walk-in customers. No special orders. No advanced notice. No grocery stores as they don't make King Cakes fit to eat.  Just walk into the bakery, buy one, take home, eat.  No notice to the bakery of what the game plan was.  Only those from local restaurants or bakeries were tested.  The ideal King Cake should taste similar to Randazzo's or Ambrosia in South Louisiana.  Bread texture should be fluffy or spongy like a cimmamon roll.  Icing, sugar, all that good stuff should be on the cake.  No flavor should overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. I like them all. Plain, flavored, cream cheese.  Especially strawberry or cherry.  Enough rambling, time to rate them.

Broad Street Bakery.  I walked in this morning.  Despite the advertisements of the various flavors for sale, only chocolate strawberry was available.  It is the day after Valentine's Day so it's understandable their inventory was low.  Samples for regular and cream cheese King Cakes were available to eat but no actual cakes of such flavors were available.  The King Cakes was the most expensive: $4 more than the other King Cakes.  The texture of the bread was very heavy.  Not soggy but very heavy. Bread needed some work.  The density (is that the right term?) is the opposite of what it should be. Was closer to dough than it was to bread.  The flavor was fine.  Chocolate and strawberry flavors tasted pretty good, didn't overwhelm the rest of the cake although it did seem as if BSB was trying to do too much with the cake.  For Jackson, the cake was a B.  For Louisiana, it was a C.  It should be noted that Broad Street had the only one we tasted that was locally produced.  Thus the bread texture was inexplicable. Price: $25.

Primos.  Primos sells King Cakes from the well-known Gambino's Bakery in Louisiana.  The cakes are delivered frozen and and are of the "do it yourself" variety.  You place the icing and different colored sugars on the cake according to your taste.  Primos only sells one flavor: plain.  Although the cake was thawed, the texture of the bread was still pretty light and fluffy, close to ideal for a King Cake.  It had that familiar cimmamon flavor that blended well with the sugar and icing.  Primos/Gambinos got an A for Mississippi and a B+ for Louisiana.  Primos should sell other flavors as well as plain. $21.

Fat Cake Guy.  Fat Cake Guy sells King Cakes from Jody's in Hattiesburg.  Proprietor said they were better than any other and he had tried them all. ;-)  I purchased one that had the "strawberry" box checked.  Found out when I tasted it the King Cake had a thick layer of cream cheese that was at least half an inch thick.  The cream cheese literally overwhelmed the taste of the other ingredients. Couldn't  taste the sugars, the icing, the strawberry, nothing. Just cream cheese. Might as well have gone to Kroger and bought a bar of cream cheese to munch on during the day.  The King Cake is made in a style that is very similar to those produced by the famous Paul's Pastries in Picayune.  The texture of the bread was fine.  It could have been a good King Cake but for the cream cheese. C for Mississippi, D for Louisiana. My friends agreed this was the worst of the three.

Sugar Magnolia Bakery. They make their own. Available for order or walk-in customers in a variety of flavors.   The Kingfish purchased Strawberry Cream Cheese and prayed it would not resemble the one mentioned above.  This cake was a delight to sample. Cake itself seemed flatter than the others but the texture of the bread was fine. It had that nice cimmamon taste.  Easy on the palate but tasty.  It was heavier on the sugar sprinkling than were the others but it didn't make much difference in the taste of the King Cake.  The strawberry flavor was a nice compliment to the sugar, icing, cimmamon, and bread.  Nice flavor, didn't overpower, and tasty.  The cream cheese was also treated as a supplement, not the main ingredient  This was probably the best King Cake we tasted in the area.  I cut my usual sample slice and then found myself cutting more small slices albeit small ones for myself.  It was an A for Jackson, B for Louisiana.   This cake mixed all the ingredients properly.  No flavors were hidden.  Each one appeared as a nice surprise when it hit the taste buds. The cake was not "busy" nor was the baker trying to do too much.  King Cake was $25.

So the final standings are:

1.  Sugar Magnolia Bakery
2.  Primos/Gambino's
3.  Broad Street Bakery
4.  Fat Cake Guy

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should do more of these. A- Pics would've been nice.

Anonymous said...

I saw king cakes at Beagle Bagel this week. Wonder how those are...

Claire Underwood said...

Thank God I'm in Louisiana on a regular basis and can bring Randazzo's home and not be relegated to the local selection. I adore Mississippi but this is not an area if strength for us...not yet anyway.

PittPanther said...

The Promos cake, I have to ice it myself? They give me icing and a cake separately, and send me on my way? Really?

Can I get Primos to ice it?

Anonymous said...

Kingfish, the Rameys at the Rez, has King cakes from Paul's in Picayune !! They are only $7!

Anonymous said...

I have had both Primos and Broad St cakes....im sorry but Broad Street Cakes are far better. I even had the pleasure to walk the bakery and witness the fresh baking....maybe inventory was low because everyone is buying...thats seems more like a good thing.

Anonymous said...

Beagle Bagel Madison...you have to order in advance but they very good

keithclingan said...

One of the previous writers has it right... best king cakes outside of Louisiana come from Paul's Pastry in Picayune... one of the top benefits I had when I worked in Picayune...

Anonymous said...

This from a bunch of central Mississippi people who call a big parade the "Mal's" St. Paddy's something or other, or how about the "Rodeo" parades through downtown Jackistan featuring a bunch of fake rednecks and fake cowboys like Feel Bryant with several stunned and curious black hipsters looking-on. Wanna know EXACTLY what is wrong with Mississippi, look no further than the central Mississippi Jackistan, along with it's freakish white-flight outliers such as Madison and Rankin Counties and their little puny cities that lack downtowns. How sad that area of the state truly is...

Anonymous said...

A true King Cake is a baked item that actually tastes terrible. There's no sugar or icing. I bought one for $25.00 at La Boulangerie on Magazine expecting to be wowed. Not so good to me.

And 10:58? What in the hell is your problem? JJ compares cakes and you burn down a three county area? Do the world a favor and after you screw yourself shoot yourself.

Anonymous said...

My suggestion would be to remove the above comment (as well as my comment) so as to start keeping commenters on subject.

Some threads run their course and good things come out of the digression, some funny, some informing. But the attack posts early on will always allow others to pile on in mob mentality, then others to defend, and meaningful conversation is lost. It's not censorship, it's not heavy moderation, it's removing a human trait that is in it's infancy since this internet thing has only been around for a blink of an eye in time.

Otherwise, people take nothing seriously and only come to read the trainwrecks and the advertising dollars are worthless.

Anonymous said...

Go away Tom.

Seems that the editorial model Kingfish has used for JJ has been highly successful.

Not sure that there is single online venture in the area, and maybe the state, that has more local advertisers that Jackson Jambalaya. So let leave it to Kingfish's customers to determine whether or not advertising here makes sense.

Maybe you or Alma or Karen or Ronni should stick to asking Donna why the JFP keeps running ads for '5000+ Thai Women Seeking Love'.

C. Cannon said...

Here we go again with the control freaks who want a heavy hand on the comments of others. Must be a slow day in progressiveland.

Anonymous said...

I'm not Tom and I'm not a control freak. I've actually owned and moderated forums with hundreds of thousands of members.

It's not heavy-handed and it's not, in any way, more progressive than having lanes on an interstate highway.

Guides for idiots help keep things flowing smoothly in the right direction. Different people have different filters and some simply don't know when to try to be funny and when not. It's simply economics. Negativity will make you money in the short run. When you have to remain negative to remain viable, then you run out of adverts.... just a numbers game.

Aside from that, it's just for the sake of organized conversation. I guess trials, classrooms, news interviews, seminars, etc are all just progressivism as they attempt to retain order for the benefit of the subject matter.

And you'll note, that I made a suggestion. My "suggestion" would not have hit such a quick nerve had it not been on target.

Anonymous said...

BTW, Dr. Cannon, perhaps you need your ears cleaned out so you can see better. I made a suggestion.... I never intimated a want to control the comments of others. Hence the comment about removing my comment as well.

Circular logic baffles you, eh?

Kingfish said...

Everyone chill. This is just a post about King Cake for crying out loud.

Anonymous said...

8:46 posts 14 lines about what a great blog moderator he is, and not one word about King Cake.

This is a forum for jackassery, not douchbaggery - learn the difference.

Anonymous said...

Sugar Magnolia Bakery off Lakeland is really good. Their plain is so good you don't even need the cream cheese version. I am not crazy about their fruit fillings but that's just a personal dislike.

Anonymous said...

10:58 and 8:46....So? Up in here we know how to fix catfish six ways, can make superb bar b q and steaks are unequaled. We don't excel at King Cakes but enjoy finding a good version, locally, when the season rolls in. Don't spoil it for us by jacking your version of bullshit on the page.

DWF said...

I told you they were good! Glad you got one.

Anonymous said...

"I cut my usual sample slice and then found myself cutting more small slices albeit small ones for myself".....made me giggle, KF. thanks.

Anonymous said...

As an outsider (in MS 15 years) I had never known about King Cakes until I arrived here. Yes I am a southerner but you don't have to go far east to understand this is truly a regional delight.

Anonymous said...

Broad Street. Custard center. End of discussion.

Anonymous said...

hey 12:33, catfish - absolutely. "superb bar b q"?
hum, as Kramer would say, 'not bloody likely!'

S K said...

Not end of discussion. You said 'custard'. That is just the beginning of what sounds like a wonderful discussion. Tell us more please.

Anonymous said...

Where and what is 'Ramey's on the Rez'.

Who gives a shit what Kramer says? If you follow contests and look around the countryside, you'll see thousands of Mississippi BBQ rigs on wheels and large gentlemen surrounded by trophies.

Anonymous said...

I don't trust anybody who uses the word 'albeit', especially in a sentence.

Anonymous said...

Oh KingFish, this is awesome! I have been dreaming of King Cakes since college. I dont want the calories so I wont buy one unless its worth it. I went out to Ramey's on the Rez and found the "Glory Hole.." Paul's Blue Berry Cream Cheese King Cake...small in size and only $6.99. I too started with a sliver and managed to sliver half of the cake in my mouth..
There it is, its all out in the open now and none of you can judge me...Except maybe that Douche who is hating on Jackson..

Anonymous said...

'thousands of MS bbq rigs...'? not bloody likely. not even hundreds. maybe tens. how many people drive to MS to eat bbq? try Texas, TN, or Alabama. where is there one bbq place worth talking about in MS. Stick to your catfish, boy.

Anonymous said...

It'd blow your mind to know how many "smokers" are really into competition cooking right here in Mississippi. My cousin is a competition smoker. He lives in Pearl. He knows that there are at least 450 that are doing it in central Mississippi. And those are the ones he KNOWS of. Thousands is a distinct possibility.


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.