If there’s anybody who knows how to get festive, it’s chef Sara Brook and her sweet staff at Dessert Gallery. This year the bakery is offering a wide variety of options for lovers of all things king cake. For traditionalists with a taste for adventure, there’s the praline crunch king cake and the cinnamon king cake, both made with flaky Danish dough and topped with royal icing and sprinkles (and praline crumbs for the praline crunch).

Chef Philippe Verpiand is showing Houstonians how the French celebrate Mardi Gras with his special galette des rois. Unlike the king cake most are familiar with, this version is made of layers of puff pastry and filled with almond cream. Sorry to the folks who enjoy the vibrancy of king cake—the galette des rois does not have a colored sugar topping. Whole cakes are available for preorder and priced at $40 ($55 if you add a Kramer sparkling wine). Each cake can feed about six to eight people. Cakes must be ordered with a 24 hour notice by calling 832-668-5808. The restaurant will also be offering slices of the galette des rois for those who dine in.

If you want an authentic taste of king cake, French Gourmet Bakery is where to get it. Founded by Mary and Patrice Ramain in 1973, the River Oaks bakery has become a destination for Houstonians who love French confections. Leading up to Mardi Gras, the bakery has multiple king cake offerings: the New Orleans–style king cake ($39.99) that comes in almond, cinnamon, and cream cheese flavors; king cake roll in cinnamon ($5.29); and galette des rois ($54.99), but only on weekends or by special order.

While most king cakes have to be ordered from bakeries and can’t be eaten in-house, Midtown Gulf Coast restaurant Josephine’s is offering whole king cakes on its menu this Mardi Gras season—meaning you can enjoy a slice of cake out with friends without having to worry about the rest of it languishing in your fridge for too many days. Josephine’s king cake feeds four and includes a hidden baby and a strawberry jam and cream cheese filling.

Rejoice, Houston kolache fans. Kolache Shoppe will once again offer its king cake specialty. Made with the bakery’s signature fluffy yeast dough, these kolaches will be a fully realized Texas-Louisiana culinary crossover event. Kolache Shoppe’s king cake kolaches come filled with cinnamon cream cheese and pecans and are topped with an almond-vanilla glaze and dustings of colored sugar. The special kolaches will be available for $3 Thursday through Saturday at the Greenway location starting on January 2, and Friday to Sunday at the Heights and Pearland locations starting January 3. They will also be available in the days leading up to Mardi Gras at all locations.

Located right off the Katy Freeway, Memorial Bakery has something for every holiday—literally. The neighborhood bakery isn’t cutting any corners for Mardi Gras, either. What we love most about chef Richard Lin’s version of the king cake is that it comes with cream cheese icing instead of the traditional royal icing. You can also purchase a king cake filled with either strawberry or raspberry.

The city’s oldest family-owned and operated bakery, founded in 1930, makes some of the best desserts in the area. The quaint West U pastry shop crafts beautiful king cakes thoroughly dusted in gold, purple, and green. Small king cakes here start at $45, and large ones start at $64. Fillings, which cost an additional $5 to $10, include raspberry, cream cheese, or both. The shop is also offering a wide variety of Mardi Gras–inspired cookies and cupcakes this year.

Rich history and good food go hand in hand, and that’s exactly what you’ll get at Three Brothers Bakery, whose original location opened in 1949. The bakery has a robust menu of king cake offerings, from classic king cake to Mardi Gras cheesecake, petit fours, and cookies. Plain king cakes here go for $20, while cream cheese or fruit-filled ones cost $30.