What object is hidden inside a traditional king cake?

What object is hidden inside a traditional king cake? A small plastic baby is the customary hidden object in a Louisiana Mardi Gras king cake.

The baby represents the infant Jesus and is connected to the Christian Epiphany story of the Three Kings. The person who finds it is often said to receive luck and prosperity, and may be expected to buy the next cake or host the next Mardi Gras gathering.

The tradition has older European roots. The hidden object is called a fève, a French word meaning “fava bean,” because beans were once placed inside similar cakes. Over time, beans gave way to porcelain figures and, especially in American king cakes, small plastic babies.

“Traditional” can cause confusion because recipes and customs differ by region. French and other European cakes may still use varied fèves, while the plastic baby is the familiar Louisiana Mardi Gras version. Commercial bakeries sometimes package the baby separately and leave customers to insert it after baking, reducing the risk of someone biting or choking on it.