Fat Tuesday: King Cake at Graeter's - a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making Process

Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on the same day this year. Here's what you need to know. King Cake explained.

This year, Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day are set to fall on the same day, and with it comes the tradition of the King Cake. The King Cake has its origins in the biblical story of the three kings who brought gifts to Baby Jesus, and it is often made with a plastic baby hidden inside. According to tradition, the person who finds the baby is responsible for buying the cake the following year.

At the Graeter's bakery on Ludlow Street in Cincinnati, the process of making the King Cake is a labor-intensive one that takes hours, and sometimes even days. Graeter's Lead Baker, Anthony Schwier, has been perfecting the process for the past 20 years. The scratch-made dough, which consists of 16 ingredients, is filled with a homemade cinnamon butter filling and then braided together by the bakery's skilled crew.

The braiding of the King Cake is a unique touch that sets Graeter's apart from other bakeries. The cakes are then left to sit in a proof box for about 25 minutes before being baked in the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Schwier, who enjoys running the oven and seeing the finished product, has a keen eye for knowing when the cakes are done.

Once baked, the King Cakes are given a quick glaze of apricot glaze to make them shiny, and then dipped into a vat of warm icing. They are then topped with sugar in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and yellow, along with little candied cherries as a Graeter's touch.

The process of making the King Cake is not without its challenges. The icing dries quickly, so the bakers have to work fast to ensure that the sugar and icing are applied correctly. Once completed, the plastic baby, along with a necklace and a coin, are hidden inside the cake, and the cakes are quickly sold in the stores.

The King Cake is a labor of love for the bakers at Graeter's, and their attention to detail and dedication to the craft shines through in the finished product.

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