A king cake tasting party

The assignment:

a festive king cake party featuring the best cakes in New Orleans

The goal:

create decor using almost exclusively purple

Tricks to pulling off the look:

1. Let the beautiful cakes (and other treats) be the star of the show

2. Select only one Mardi Gras color for the decor and stick to it

3. More is more!

Showing off the cakes 

The beauty of the king cake tradition is that every bakery has a slightly different idea of what it should look like.  Bringing each individual work of art together on the same table makes for a vibrant display with little to no effort.

Purple, green, or gold?

Since I wanted the cakes to really stand out, I knew selecting only one color for the decor was necessary.  I already owned several shades of purple table linens, so that was it, although I couldn’t resist incorporating purple, green, and “gold” into the florals.

Can’t stop, won’t stop

In the true spirit of Mardi Gras, more is more, and why not celebrate food with other food? Anyone from New Orleans truly appreciates a tablescape made with art from a celebrated local artist amongst scattered beloved Mardi Gras treats (Hubig’s pies, Chee Wees, and Moon Pies).  Fun fact: Chee Wees and Moon Pies are traditionally thrown off of floats during most Mardi Gras parades.  And while we’re at it, why not cram as many cakes as possible onto one table and fill in with king cake babies and beads?  Why not? It also doesn’t hurt to provide fun light-up wearables for each guest in the traditional Mardi Gras colors to brighten up the scene.