Typically, when you think about a cake you might think about frosting and decorations. But, what about a plastic baby?
It’s called King Cake named after “Kings Day”, or the “12th night” after Jesus was born. As a symbol of the holy day, the baker’s from Harner’s Bakery and Restaurant put a tiny plastic baby inside the cake.
“Christine is going to the put baby Jesus inside the King Cake. We put it through the bottom, and no one is going to know who’s going to the get the piece with the baby Jesus until they are ready to eat the cake,” said Marcia Weisse, a baker at Harner’s Bakery and Restaurant.
The tradition says the first person to find baby Jesus in the cake, is proclaimed a king or queen, for the day. However, with great power comes great responsibly as you’re also in charge of buying next year’s cake.
The decorations on top of the oval–shaped cake also have a special meaning.
“Purple for passion, gold for power, and green for faith,” said Weisse.
The cake is meant to symbolize the end of the Christmas season and welcomes the pre-Lenten celebrations.
Getting your belly full for Fat Tuesday.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.