Local bakeries ringing in carnival season with lots and lots of king cakes

BATON ROUGE – King’s Day rings the start of carnival season around the capital city. Local bakeries are already geared up and hard at work getting king cakes on and off the shelves. 

For Thee Heavenly Donut, it’s all about serving the city during times of tradition. Owner Kara Castille says they’ve been facing issues with inflation and short-staffing, but they aren’t letting it set them back this season.

Castille says as carnival season continues, so will the demand for cakes, with some local bakeries making up to 400 a day. She says one way that locals can make it easier is by calling ahead. 

For local favorite Ambrosia Bakery, high demand combined with short staffing has also created some stressors.

Co-owner Felix Sherman says the bakery has online ordering and will even ship across the country, which also helps during an influx of orders. 

While Ambrosia capitalizes on its traditional baked cakes that range from a whole list of flavors and are even customizable, Thee Heavenly Donut puts a twist on tradition with its fried cakes. 

Castille says frying the cake creates a completely different texture and adds a new definition of flavor. Being the first of its kind in the area, the fried cakes have gained attention from lots of neighboring areas. 

For more information on some local bakeries getting ahead this season, head to Ambrosia’s website or Thee Heavenly Donut’s webpage.