King cake to crow about

King cake is one of those things that often looks better than it tastes. But I found a gourmet version recently with a texture that is amazing.

Last week, I had a ton of out-of-state family in town and I wanted to expose them to really good king cake. Longtime local baker Nannette Mayhall came through. Her fresh raspberry-topped, raspberry cream cheese king cake had all the trappings of something real and ancient – the pastry was pillowy, tender and moist and the filling was creamy, but not oozing, and sweet, but not over-the-top.

Known for her white chocolate raspberry cake (which, I also ordered – yum!), Mayhall started featuring king cakes about 12 years ago after making them for fun most of her life. Forget grainy, clumpy sugar on top. She dyes her own superfine sugar and sprinkles just enough to enhance the creamy glaze. Her fillings are all homemade and include raspberry (the most popular), dark chocolate cream, blueberry, pecan praline, amaretto, peach, apple, peanut butter and chocolate, Zulu, traditional cinnamon and cinnamon cream cheese.

Depending on the flavor inside, toppings might be fresh seasonal fruits, pecans, dark chocolate stripes or coconut. Sizes include a 6-inch, small, large, and extra large. Prices vary according to size and flavor.

To order cakes, call Nannette Mayhall Desserts at 343-4530.

Note: Mayhall’s king cakes will be featured at the Women’s Chefs Showoff to benefit the Baton Rouge Battered Women’s Program Thursday, Feb. 1. For tickets or more information, call the Battered Women’s Program at 389-3001 or visit stopdv.org.