During Carnival season, it feels like we can’t go a single day without spying a gooey, sprinkle-covered king cake in the aisles of the grocery stores or on the desk of a coworker. By Ash Wednesday, though, the frenzied production of king cakes mostly halts until the next year.
But have you ever craved one in late April? How about around Halloween? I mean, who hasn’t?
Local bakery Thee Heavenly Donut has become known for satisfying those cravings year-round. It sells St. Patrick’s Day- and Easter basket-themed king cakes in the spring, “spooky” Halloween king cakes in the fall, and white chocolate peppermint king cakes in the winter.
Co-owner Kara Castille opened the bakery, which now has two locations in Baton Rouge, on Sherwood Forest Boulevard in 2000.
She began making the year-round cakes, she says, because of the demand for birthday and wedding king cakes.
“A lot of brides and grooms come and want a tiered king cake for their cakes,” Castille says.
Some Louisianans, she says, just prefer it to regular cake. In fact, the bakery’s busiest holiday besides Mardi Gras is Christmas.
During Carnival season, Thee Heavenly Donut’s king cakes are made fresh every morning by Castille’s husband, Shane Castille. He sometimes starts baking as early as 10 p.m. the night before.
The cakes are deep-fried to maintain a nice, thick texture. Instead of normal sanded sugar, Thee Heavenly Donut uses its own sprinkle mixture.
The bakery serves up a variety of king cake flavors, from sweet to savory. Its most popular sweet flavor is the bananas foster rum flavor from its gourmet line, while its most popular savory flavor is the baked boudin king cake.
With orders down earlier this winter due to COVID-19, Castille and her team tried to keep their offerings creative. They started selling make-your-own king cake kits. Customers can buy a king cake, along with the decorating materials, and decorate their own cakes at home.
“Parents can buy a king cake,” Castille says, “and families can talk about the tradition and story of the king cake and decorate it.”
Even though parades and other festivities are canceled this year, Castille and her team are hopefulthe Mardi Gras season will help them bounce back.
“We actually anticipate having more sales, since people are stuck in their homes,” Castille says. “The king cake is a way to celebrate traditions we’ve had since we were born.” theeheavenlydonut.com
This article was originally published in the February 2021 issue of 225 magazine.
