Raleigh bakeries prepare hundreds of king cakes for Fat Tuesday

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The week of Fat Tuesday is an extremely busy one at bakeries that sell king cake, the signature baked good of Carnival season in New Orleans.

The cakes are sold between January 6, also known as King's Day or Twelfth Night, and Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and Lenten season, which for many Christians is a period of fasting and reflection ahead of Easter.

ABC11 stepped into one of the Raleigh bakeries, Great Harvest Bread Company, which becomes a king cake factory leading up to Fat Tuesday, to find out some fun facts about these colorful cakes and the traditions that go with them.

Great Harvest Bread Company is still taking King Cake orders beyond Fat Tuesday for weekend parties.