Bakers can’t afford to miss out on opportunities to sell cakes for occasions that aren’t traditionally celebrated in their own city. Mardi Gras, which this year starts Tuesday, March 8, and is known as a New Orleans tradition, presents a prime example. Even in sunny Southern California, Torrance Bakery makes a big splash with its Mardi Gras King Cakes, which are oval-shaped brained coffee cakes topped with fondant icing in Mardi Gras colors: purple, green and gold.

“Any event where people gather together for a special party at home now is an opportunity for cakes,” says Kirk Rossberg, owner of Torrance Bakery, based in Torrance, CA.

For other holidays, Torrance Bakery rose to the occasion of Valentine’s Day with a decorative selection of Love Bugs (a cute little bug made of white cake covered in white chocolate ganache tinted red) and Valentine’s Whoopie Pies (chocolate cake filled with old-fashioned buttercream). For St. Patrick’s Day in March, Torrance Bakery plans to make Blarney Bugs and Shamrock Whoopie Pies.