Don't Throw away your leftover King Cake! [Breakfast Recipe]

There are few things that my family loves more than a fresh and delicious King Cake. We bake hundreds of King Cakes each year for the Mardi Gras season. By the end of the season, we would have stored a deep freezer full of old and stale leftover King Cake Pastries. We hardly ever throw away leftover King Cakes! I am going to be sharing my favorite way to use up stale, days old, King cake and turn it into a delicious yummy breakfast the whole family can enjoy!

How Many King Cakes are sold each year.

Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are sold every year during the Mardi Gras season. According to the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, an estimated 750,000 King Cakes are sold in that area each year.

With that many King Cakes sold, there is bound to be some leftovers!

How long do King Cakes last?

Days after our joyful purchase, we end up with leftover King Cakes that become too dry and too stale to enjoy. The average shelf life of a pastry is only 2-3 days if properly stored. I do recommend putting leftover pastries in a freezer bag then storing them in the freezer for several weeks to avoid throwing them away in the trash.

Food Waste in the United States

Lots of leftover King Cakes end up in the trash, baby and all. Food waste is a common problem in the U.S. and not many people realize how much food waste contributes to their monthly grocery expenses. It is way better to have back up plans for how to use our not so fresh food products before chucking them away in the trash pail.

Bring those old leftover King Cakes back to life!

There is a fun and delicious way to bring those stale pastries back to life. My favorite way to use up stale leftover King Cakes is to make a delicious breakfast entree that the whole family will enjoy! Slices of leftover king cakes can be dipped into a batter, then fried in an oiled pan to make King Cake French Toast.

King Cake French Toast, the New Breakfast Staple of Mardi Gras!

There are lots of King Cake French toast Ideas! You can top them sliced bananas, apples, strawberries, hazelnut chocolate, confectioners sugar, or the signature Mardi gras colors using sanding sugar. This up-cycled breakfast dessert can be served with a side of scrambled eggs and fried bacon.

Recipe: King Cake French Toast

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8-10 slices of Leftover King Cake

Optional:

1/2 cup Breakfast syrup

Your choice of toppings

Instructions:

1.In a large bowl, whisk eggs together until smooth.

2.Stir in milk, butter, vanilla extract,cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar until combined.

3. Preheat frying pan on medium high and spray with a non stick coating

3. Dip slices of leftover King Cake into the batter and place the slices into the hot pan.

4. Cook the slices on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. Place slices on a paper towel to cool.

6. Serve the King Cake French toast with desired toppings and sides.

Share your ideas in the comment section below on how you use leftover King Cakes! Subscribe to our email list to receive new recipes, newsletters, and coupons.