On Tuesday, January 31, in preparation for Mardi Gras, the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) is hosting a demonstration of Louisiana-style king cake. Attendees will discover the techniques and traditions of this festive cake with David Norman from cult favorite Austin, Texas bakery and beer garden, Easy Tiger.

Easy Tiger was founded in 2011. Today the company has three locations and it known for its unique bakeshop and beer garden concept. Over his 30-year career, David Norman has worked in some of the country’s best bakeries, from Seattle (Grand Central Bakery) to New York City (Bouley Bakery) and has taught professional bread courses at the French Culinary Institute and the San Francisco Baking Institute, in addition to classes for home bakers at Easy Tiger’s Bakery Classroom. Norman’s debut cookbook, Bread on the Table: Recipes for Making and Enjoying Europe’s Most Beloved Breads, was published by Ten Speed Press in October 2019.

King cakes are inextricably tied to Mardi Gras. One of the ways in which people celebrate the official start to Carnival season (also known as the Pre-Lenten period) is with king cakes, desserts that typically come in the form of a sweet brioche dough in the shape of a hollow circle topped with glaze sprinkled with colored sugar.

Advanced registration for the King Cake Demonstration with David Norman is required. The virtual event is $15 for RBA members and $25 for non-members.