Variants can be made from cake batter or bread dough or pastry, but almost all versions are shaped into a circle or oval to mimic the appearance of a king’s crown. Every king cake contains a ...

The cake pays a sort of homage to the three kings, hence the name, and is baked into the shape of a crown, representing the jeweled crown gifted during their visit to the Christ Child on Epiphany.

Log cakes are topped with meringue mushrooms, edible foliage, or sprinkled confectioner’s sugar. Bolo Rei from Portugal Like ...