With their purple, gold and green colors and toy babies hidden inside, King Cakes are a staple of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. Apparently, they’re also valuable enough to steal — at least this time of year. A thief managed to walk away with 7 King Cakes — about as many as he could carry — during a break-in at Maurice French Pastries. “Our King Cakes are just that good, but please come and purchase one during our regular store hours,” posted pastry chef Jean-Luc Albin on social media. One commenter responded to the chef’s social media post with a tongue-in-cheek false admission: “It was me. I’m holding all 7 babies hostage until I get a lifetime supply of King Cakes from you every year.” Once word spread that the bakery had been robbed, residents of New Orleans swarmed the restaurant to show their support, buying up all the pastries that were available.
