NEW ORLEANS — The seasonal red and green colors of Christmas are coming down in New Orleans, replaced by the next season of purple, green, and gold.
“I love it,” said Dong Phuong Bakery manager Milagros Ducombs.
For Ducombs it’s the sweetest season.
“We’ve been answering emails and getting orders in for a few weeks,” said Ducombs.
Those weeks of orders are, for one thing, the coveted king cakes from Dong Phuong Bakery in New Orleans East that help usher in Carnival Season.
“They’re delicious,” said Ducombs. “The way they’re made, they’re so fluffy and nice. The cream cheese icing is amazing.”
The bakery started taking online orders for pickup on New Year's Day. Shipping orders already started and folks didn’t waste time.
“They have sold out currently, but you can always join our waitlist and we expect to open up some more dates at the end of January for February shipping,” said Ducombs.
Ducombs says the bakery started ordering supplies months ago and will increase staffing once the season officially gets underway. The first Dong Phuong king cakes will be available Wednesday.
“We love when our customers get so happy and excited when they get their king cake, when they pick them up, or when they purchase them after waiting in line,” said Ducombs.
Before she became manager at Dong Phuong, Ducombs was one of those people.
“Before I worked here I used to stand in line to get the king cakes,” said Ducombs.
By the end of the season, Ducombs says the bakery will turn out tens of thousands of king cakes, all made the same way, but unique in their style and taste.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” said Ducombs. “We love hearing everybody speak so highly of our king cakes and how much they love them. It’s really rewarding.”
Dong Phuong is partnering with several locations to pick up their king cakes. You can find those locations below.
