Great Harvest Bakery Café owner Laura Jones cuts dough to make freshly baked king cakes in 2022. Her family has special ties to Louisiana, so her mission to help victims of the New Orleans attack is close to her heart. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

A bakery and café that opened in the summer on South Broadway Avenue is bringing a little bit of Louisiana to Tyler in the form of authentic festive king cakes.

Owner Laura Jones, whose parents are from Hammond in South Louisiana, said she knew from the beginning that king cakes would be a part of Great Harvest, 6621 S. Broadway Ave., and the time is now with Fat Tuesday just days away.

“When we opened Great Harvest, we knew we wanted to bring King Cakes to East Texas in a big way,” she said. “So, I went to Lake Charles with my daughter and we learned to make them properly; these are true Louisiana king cakes. The recipe was created in Lafayette. I learned to make them in Lake Charles and now we offer them in Tyler.”

The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Jesus after the birth, according to NewOrleans.com. The cakes are a blend of a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll with fruit or cream cheese filling and are usually iced in the colors of Mardi Gras — yellow, green and purple.

The cakes are meant to be enjoyed during Mardi Gras, which ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Jones said Great Harvest started selling the cakes after Kings Day on Jan. 6, true to the tradition, and she is pleased with the cake’s popularity. They will be available through Tuesday.

“We’ve learned that East Texans loves their king cakes,” Jones said. “We’re making between 20 and 60 per day, depending the day, and often sell out. I have many customers who come in every couple days for another one.”

The bakery offers six flavors, including cinnamon twist, cinnamon cream cheese, blueberry cream cheese, raspberry cream cheese, pecan praline and double chocolate with cinnamon cream cheese being its best seller, according to Jones.

Jones said the cakes, which take five hours to prepare from start to finish because they make the dough from scratch, are kept in the bakery no longer than 24 hours to ensure freshness. Any cakes that remain are donated to local shelters.

In the past, a bean, pea or coin was hidden inside the cake. The person who received the piece with the hidden item was declared king for the day or was said to have good luck in the coming year.

More recently, a small plastic baby to symbolize baby Jesus has been hidden in the cakes. The person who gets the baby is expected to carry on the carnival festivities by hosting the next king cake party.

At Great Harvest, the bakery does not hide the baby in the cake but sends a plastic baby with each cake along with Mardi Gras beads for the customer to use how they please.

Jones said offering samples in the store has led to customers trying a king cake for the first time and learning about its history.

“It’s so fun to watch people come in and taste the king cake on the bread board and learn the history and tradition of it, especially since many people have never had one,” Jones said.

Due to their popularity, Jones recommends ordering online in advance, usually just the day before, to ensure the desired flavor is available.

For more information, call 903-630-3094 or visit greatharvesttyler.com.