This tidy bakery takes its king cake cues from the French galette des rois, showing off the puff pastry version of king cake instead of the brioche-based king cake. Indulge in the most traditional variety of this puff pastry dessert filled with almond cream and a splash of rum, or delight in the one filled with apples and salted caramel. Both cost $29.80 and are available at all three locations (Rockville, Bethesda, and Georgetown). Pre-order on thewebsite.

Available only until the end of January, Bethesda-basedPraline Bakery烘焙一個古怪甜galette des roi。12英寸的round cake follows French tradition with an almond frangipane filling. In lieu of a plastic baby (popularized in New Orleans in the mid-20th century), this bakery again holds tight to French tradition and hides a tiny porcelain fève in this king cake.

ThisJames Beard Award-winning, Old World-style charmer in Van Ness joins the king cake races for the first time this year with a sweet brioche king cake laced with rum-soaked fruit and nuts. Fruit and nuts in king cake go all the way back to when the Romans added the hole to what was previously a round cake. This made it look more like a crown: The fruit and nuts represented the jewels in the crown. The $42 cake is available from February 28 through March 2. Order by calling the bakery at (202) 765-1200.

Opened by French expats, this petite bakery nearDupont Circleknows a thing or two about the French galette des rois and demonstrates this with four different fillings on offer: traditional almond frangipane, pistachio, matcha yuzu, and apple. Each serves six people and runs between $33 and $36. Orderonlineor by visiting the bakery.

Kristen Essig spent a couple decades living and cooking in New Orleans—long enough to eat her fair share of king cakes—before arriving in D.C. to helm Dauphine’s. Thelaudedchef will celebrate Mardi Gras at the Louisiana-inspired restaurant with a a rotating list of five different flavors of a brioche-based version of the emblematic dessert: classic, Bavarian cream, spiced apple, chocolate satsuma, and banana praline. To try all of them, head to happy hour at the restaurant’s bar for the king cake kick-off on Wednesday, January 26 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Each full king cake comes with a ceramic fava bean created by local artistMaterial Things. King cakes are available for pick-up from January 27 through the end of February.

Thislong-running Arlington bakery and delihas been serving authentic, European baked goods since 1975. Owner Wolfgang Büchler and team bake up a fluffy yeast dough king cake with diced fruits, raisins, and nuts before topping it with fondant icing green, purple, and yellow sugar. Each $12.95 cake serves six to eight people.

If D.C. crowned a local king of Louisiana cuisine, New Orleans native David Guas would sit on the thrown. For a dozen years, he’s has been churning out Crescent City classics like sugar-topped beignets and dark, rich, soul-warming gumbos at his award-winning Arlington bakery. During Carnival season,Bayou Bakeryserves up a Danish-style king cake ($45; 12-16 servings) stuffed with sweet and tangy Creole cream cheese and topped with fluffy, white icing and purple, green, and gold sugar. Go big and spring for aMardi Gras “party in a box”用珠子(150美元), masks, boas, doubloons, hurricane cocktail mix, and a Mardi Gras murder-themed mystery game. You supply the hangover.