Crepe King Cake

If you've ever been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, or frankly anytime of year, then you know King Cake is king in The Big Easy. It's as New Orleanian as Bourbon Street but with less drunken coeds flashing their goodies for cheap plastic beads. King Cake is a traditional treat enjoyed in the weeks leading up to lent. Most people know the gist of Fat Tuesday, an indulgent day of feasting and imbibing on all of the things before lent begins on Ash Wednesday. But, not everybody is as familiar with the King Cake, a ring shaped, yeasted dough cake, covered in over the top with jewel toned sprinkles. Along with the signature purple, gold and green sprinkles, a King Cake traditionally contains a hidden baby Jesus figurine inside. The baby Jesus is the reason for the season and also makes the whole King Cake experience an interactive game. Whoever finds the baby will be crowned Queen or King for the evening and will have good luck and prosperity for the year to come. But with great luck, comes great responsibility, the baby finder also has to provide the King Cake and the celebration the following year. So be careful what you wish for. I always wish I will find the baby JC but I've never been lucky.  I've made a few King Cakes in my day and I've always enjoyed what's beneath all of those bright and bold sprinkles. This year, I wanted to change it up a bit and see if I could streamline the chaotic sprinkle situation into something a little less flashy. I thought about this for a long time and finally landed on this Crepe King Cake, it's simple but it has many of the same elements and traditions of a King Cake. I started with my all time favorite recipe for The Best Basic Crepes and then layered them up with an airy, whipped mascarpone whipped cream laced with a kiss of cinnamon. In keeping with the classic moniker of purple, gold and green sprinkles, I dyed my own using natural food coloring and Bob's Red Mill Sparkling Sugar. My colors are a bit more subdued but give a glitzy nod to New Orleans. The crepe cake is topped with fluffy whipped cream and layered with the colorful sprinkles just before serving. And, it wouldn't be a Crepe King Cake without everybody's favorite mascot, Baby JC hidden inside.  We visited New Orleans last year for the first time and I've got to tell you, that city and the food really stole my heart. Read all about our trip and check out some of my favorite spots in the city on my blog post New Orleans Eats. If you can't be in New Orleans, you can always eat like a New Orleanian, right? While this Crepe King Cake may not be the traditional King Cake, I think it's about to become a Fat Tuesday tradition in our house. Don’t worry if you don’t have a tiny baby Jesus figurines or sparkly sprinkles, this airy, sweet cake will still stack up to it’s colorful cousin. The crepes and mascarpone filling will still have you feeling festive.

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