Fat Tuesday means big business for New Orleans bakers under exploding demand for King Cakes

By KEVIN McGILL and STEPHEN SMITH
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It’s Carnival season in New Orleans and that means the morning lines outside popular bakeries are long and the pace inside is brisk to meet customer demand for king cake. The seasonal sweet has exploded in popularity over the years. One New Orleans bakery owner says king cake sales during the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras account for an estimated half of his business. Recent decades have seen the ring-shaped dessert grow in popularity and variety, with bakeries using different recipes and ingredients to draw customers. The season ends on Mardi Gras — Fat Tuesday — which falls on Feb. 13 this year.