Coming to America Lecture Series. Sunday, February 23, 2 pm. The History of King Cake: 4,000 Years from Ancient Rome to Present-day New Orleans by Matt Haines. Little says Mardi Gras more than king cake. But most New Orleanians don’t realize just how far Carnival season’s favorite sweet has come. Matt Haines, the author of The Big Book of King Cake and The Little Book of King Cake will guide us back in time, from the cake’s unexpected origins in ancient Rome all the way to its continuing evolution through the modern day. This event is free and open to the public.