LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In preparation for Mardi Gras this Tuesday, Feb. 13, which is French for "Fat Tuesday," Louisville's Heitzman Traditional Bakery and Deli is preparing king cakes, a tradition manager Marguerite Schadt started when the family moved to Louisville from New Orleans.
What You Need To Know
- Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday"
- Louisville's Heitzman Traditional Bakery and Deli has celebrated the occasion by making king cakes for more than 30 years
- It's one of the busiest times of the year for the bakery, along with Thanksgiving and Christmas
- The bakery makes more than 2,500 king cakes in 12 different flavors
The bakery has been around for 133 years. For the last 32 years, king cakes have been its top-selling item.
"It's great for kids because you have the [baby Jesus figurine] inside it," Schadt said. "The colors are bright and pretty; everybody's kind of off their diet. They're going toward all the sweets."
Making more than 2,500 king cakes in 12 different flavors, Schadt said this is one of the busiest times of the year for the bakery along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. She added the most popular flavor is cinnamon cream cheese, while other top flavors include apple, cherry, raspberry, strawberry and strawberry cream cheese.
Each king cake is handmade and dressed up to the nines in green, yellow and purple, which Schadt said represents faith, hope and love.
Fat Tuesday is celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Schadt said she hopes to keep making cakes for another 30 years.
