King cake is best enjoyed with company, the centerpiece of a shared Carnival experience. This year, some of the best king cakes are created in good company too.
Collaborations and partnerships between brands, restaurants, community organizations and Carnival krewes have brought some remarkable king cakes to the party for 2026, and more are percolating.
The fruits of collaboration are on full display in the range of king cakes from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the high school in Faubourg Marigny, which has a robust culinary arts program.
For about a decade, NOCCA students have produced king cakes as part of their curriculum. Along the way, king cake had become an increasingly important fundraiser for the school, and proceeds now cover the annual costs for the culinary program…