About Us

We started making King Cakes about 15 years ago. A dear friend from Lafayette suggested that we start making them. They have been a huge hit. Customer’s kept asking and asking us to please start shipping them. We’re proud to say that as of last year we’ve started shipping!

Our cakes are made out of the famous Southern Maid Donut Dough that has been around since the 1940’s. They are a huge Cinnamon Twist injected with flavored fillings to almost guarantee that they won’t be dry. Our King Cakes weigh in around 5 pounds and will feed from 15-17 people.

Our staff takes great pride in each and every King Cake that we make. We hope you enjoy this and order many more in the future.

Have a wonderful Mardi Gras season!!!!
Thanks so much from our Southern Maid Staff!!!

Our Goal

Your King Cake will be made fresh the night before it is shipped out. Our goal is to ship order by the next day but that depends on the number of orders we receive.

Yummy Tips

Put a slice in the microwave for about 8-10 seconds. Just a little warm is all you need!!!! (DO NOT put anything but the King Cake in the microwave. Especially the baby, beads, or doubloons.)

Also, we recommend not heating the whole cake at one time. We’ve found that the heat runs the icing off the cake.

Southern Maid’s History

Southern Maid Donuts began in 1937 by Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Hargrove. A young couple coming out of the throws of the Great Depression, they created Southern Maid because they saw the need in the market for quality donuts. They created their own recipes, which have stood the test of time. Quality ingredients and uncompromised procedures are reason for the continued success of the Hargrove family to this very day.

The product was so well accepted that besides selling donuts in their privately owned shops that they were sought out by individuals wanting to use Southern Maid products in their own bakeries and stores. The Hargrove couple began to license their trademark and to help individuals realize their dreams of owning their own businesses. Today, Southern Maid is used in over 100 stores.

The Southern Maid name came about because of being from the South. Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove wanted a name that encompassed a feeling as well as humble southern traditions and memories. Part of this Southern Maid tradition was a large sponsorship for several years of the Louisiana Hayride Show in Shreveport, Louisiana. Many a young entertainer sang the praises of Southern Maid Donuts. An interesting note: Elvis did the only commercial of his life for any product on November 6th, 1954 for Southern Maid Donuts. He sang the jingle. “You can get them piping hot after 4 P.M., you can get them piping hot, Southern Maid Donuts hits the spot, you can get them piping hot after 4 P.M.” Elvis frequented the Shreveport store for donuts on his visits to the Louisiana Hayride. Other entertainers that sang the praises of Southern Maid include Minnie Pearl, Johnny Horton, and Johnny Cash. The Johnny Cash version was released on the Best of the Louisiana Hayride Volume 4.

Southern Maid products are also used institutionally in the form of pancake and muffin mixes. The Hargroves had created a pancake mix for home use. Over time, the mix was given to friends and family members. The requests for the mix got so large that they began to package it in 50-pound bags for selling to hotels and restaurants.

Southern Maid has remained a tradition in the South because of the continued use of quality ingredients and procedures. We have been family owned since inception in 1937. Though Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove have since passed on, Southern Maid has evolved into the second and third generations of family ownership and management.

Contact Us

Southern Maid Donuts
1409 E 70th Street, Ste 116
Shreveport, LA 71105
318-524-3900

The Tradition of Mardi Gras King Cakes

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the 12th century. These early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King’s Day.

The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King’s Cake to honor the three Kings. The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route use by the kings to get to the Christ Child, which was taken to confuse King Herod who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child. In these early King Cakes a bean, pea, or coin was hidden inside the cake. The person who got the hidden piece was declared King for the day or was said to have good luck in the coming year.

In Louisiana, Twelfth Night also signified the beginning of the carnival season which ends with Mardi Gras Day. The bean, pea, and the coin have been replaced by a small plastic baby to symbolize the Christ Child. The person who gets the baby is expected to carry on the carnival festivities by hosting the next King Cake party.

Our King Cakes are baked fresh daily and filled with fruit filling, fresh cream filling, or a combination of both. King Cakes are decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors; gold (for power), green (for faith), and purple (for justice).

As for the Baby inside the King Cakes, we put ours on top. We are not allowed to hide the baby anymore for liability reasons.