This year for Carnevale, we indulged in something I’ve never seen before last year – an “Italian king cake”. I bought one in 2023 right before Mardi Gras, but this year I didn’t wait until Fat Tuesday to eat it. (It turns out I couldn’t wait to eat it because it looked so delicious.) And I planned ahead for 2024 – I bought two of these awesome torte del re and put one in the freezer.
King cakes have been a staple of carnival for hundreds of years, and have taken various forms depending on the local culture. The typical traditional New Orleans king cake was somewhat French-influenced and took the form of a simple brioche sprinkled with colored sugar. In recent decades, the mass-produced king cakes have morphed into more elaborate creations – more like giant circular cinnamon rolls available with different choices of fillings.
The Italian king cake represents yet another stage in the evolution of the New Orleans king cake. As far as I know, the Italian king cake is a fairly recent creation and is exclusively made by Saluto’s Italian Cookies in Louisiana. If I were to attempt to describe it as simply as possible to an Italian-American, I’d say: imagine a giant fig cake – but soft. (And with a hidden plastic baby inside.)
Because that’s what makes the Italian king cake Italian – it contains the fruit of the hallmark of the Italian garden or yard (figs) and has a definite appeal to anyone who loves cuccidatti. (And it comes just in time for all of us who usually experience the post-Christmas cuccidatti withdrawal symptoms!) That’s right, the Italian king cake has a fig filling, and is topped with icing and sprinkles – very much like the Italian fig cakes we love during the Christmas season.
In fact to the untrained eye, the Saluto’s king cake might look like a Christmas cake of some sort: it has white icing and a smattering of green and red sprinkles. But the color scheme doesn’t represent Christmas (and of course it doesn’t match the traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras color scheme of purple, green, and gold). Of course, the green, white and red of the Italian king cake pays homage to the tricolor flag of Italy – making it Italian in appearance and flavor – inside and out.
Paired perfect with coffee in the morning (or any time of day), I have to say this king cake is a treat. (And even though the Italian king cake is a bit pricey, I think it was worth it.)
The question you may be asking now is: where can I get one? You can get them in the New Orleans area at several local grocery stores: Breaux Mart, Dorignac’s, Zuppardo’s and Langenstein’s. (Last year Rouse’s had them, but I don’t think they had them this year.) I don’t know if Saluto’s ships them (their website appears to be a bit outdated, and doesn’t mention the Italian king cake at all).
If you are able to get your hands on this Italian-American delicacy be prepared to experience the best king cake ever. And be sure to have a hot caffe when you do!
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