King Cake is a classic treat during the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, but this year, cakes from Guinness World Record-breaking Haydel’s Bakery have a new twist: café au lait cream cheese.
“It’s been out for a couple days now, and people are… they’re loving it,” revealed bakery owner Dave Haydel this week in an interview with WWL’s Newell Normand. He explained that they make the cream cheese by folding in some coffee concentrate.
Haydel added that it definitely isn’t caffeine-free and that it tastes like sipping a cup of coffee at the French Market. Unlike a cup of Joe, this also comes with frosting, sprinkles and the chance to find a baby Jesus toy inside.
“I have to try that with my one cup of coffee in the morning so I could cheat a little bit on the caffeine,” said Normand.
Coffee-laced King Cakes aren’t the only thing the bakery is churning out during this shortened Mardi Gras season. Haydel said they have been expecting a flood of orders on Saturday, which marks the start of official King Cake time.
“People still want their King Cakes. They don’t care how short… the Mardi Gras season is,” he said. Haydel expects to bake around 60,000 King Cakes this year.
Haydel’s also offers collectibles to remember the 2024 season by. This year, the porcelain collectibles from the bakery honor Arthur Hardy publisher of the Mardi-Gras Guide, as well as The Gallier Hall Mardi Gras stands.
The Haydel’s Bakery King Cake Pop-up is now OPEN for the season on the corner of Metairie Road and Ridgeway Drive (2341 Metairie Road) in Metairie, La. Haydel’s is located at 4037 Jefferson Hwy. in New Orleans.