IT'S GOOD THE KING

EVERYONE HAS THEIR FAVORITE

The king cake wars are real, and it's hard to choose a favorite with all of the options available. These bakeries tend to be at the top of the list when it comes to talking about who makes the best king cake.

If you'd like to get a super fresh king cake straight from the bakery, these are a baker's dozen of the most popular spots in town.

1. Haydel's Bakery 4037 Jefferson Hwy (800) 442-1342, haydelsbakery.com

Starting on Twelfth Night, there will be a daily line outside of Haydel's Bakery in Old Jefferson. People swear that Haydel's is the ultimate traditional king cake even though they offer a wide variety of flavors. Haydel's begins their king cakes by making a Danish dough and handbraiding it with cinnamon and sugar before baking it. It can be topped with icing, but you can choose to have no icing. In the past, the bakery has infused some of their king cakes with Jameson whiskey and Kahlua.

If you want to have a little more excitement in your king cake, try one of the flavored fillings: praline pecan, cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, German chocolate, and brownie chocolate chip. Another style is "Da Parish King Cake." This king cake is baked with the sugar on top to make a really crispy crust.

2. Dong Phuong Bakery 14207 Chef Menteur HWY. (504) 882-9878, dpbakery.com

The line for Don Phuong king cakes got so long that the little New Orleans East

Vietnamese bakery had to get their cakes shipped out to be picked up at other locations. The original cinnamon king cake is the most popular item, but Don Phuong also offers cream cheese, pecan, strawberry, almond, and coconut.

Just note that there is a limit of 5 king cakes for online orders and 3 king cakes for walk-in purchases. The bakery opens at 8 a.m., but they are likely to sell out of all king cakes for the day before noon.

3. Manny Randazzo King Cakes

3515 N. Hullen St. (504) 456-1476, randazzokingcake.com

Manny Randazzo and his family had a traditional bakery for decades, but the king cakes were so popular that they decided to devote all their time to making them. The Christmas king cakes are sought after for holiday parties. But the real fun kicks off each January 3rd when they start serving Mardi Gras king cakes. The little Metairie bakery often has a line stretching from the counter down the sidewalk.

Randazzo's has traditional and cream cheese in various sizes, but the Royal King Cake is too good to pass up. It has one section each of strawberry, lemon, and