king cupcakesEveryone knows the perfect way to celebrate Fat Tuesday is with King Cake washed down with a hurricane or two, and likely you've taken part in this Mardi Gras custom already today. But did you also know that lots of people have used the traditional wreath-shaped purple, green, and gold-colored cake with cream cheese and cinnamon filling to create some colorful King Cake-inspired treats of their very own? It's true!

You'll definitely want to check out these twists on the ordinary King Cake. After all, it would be an absolute crime to watch Fat Tuesday come and go without eating King Cake in at least one form or another.

If you prefer mini and manageable to big and unwieldy, then these adorable King Cupcakes are for you. They're exactly the same as the regular King Cake -- just bite-sized!

Just when you think you've seen it all, these colorful King Cake Bars will surprise you. It's quite genius: A sugar cookie crust with cream cheese filling, vanilla glaze, and purple, green, and gold-colored sprinkles on top.

Now, I know you are not going to believe this, but trust me it exists: King Cake Ice Cream! It's cinnamon cream cheese ice cream with swirls of brown sugar and cinnamon ... has Mardi Gras always been this unfriendly to the waist line?

Of course, I'm partial to King Cake Bread Pudding myself. It's just as good as it sounds -- King Cake soaked in eggy cinnamon custard and then baked until golden brown and served warm. Boozy whiskey sauce topping is an absolute must.

Last, but certainly not least is the rather appropriate King Cake Cocktail -- made with King Cake-flavord vodka (yes, there really is such a thing). You know what this means, right? You can have your cake and drink it, too.

King Cake Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. King Cake vodka
  • 1 oz. Kahlua
  • 1 oz. cream

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients and shake to blend. Pour over ice.

2. Garnish with a festive purple sugar rim.

What are eating to celebrate Fat Tuesday?

 

Image via BlueberryFiles/Flickr