With the holidays on the horizon, we’re leaning into nostalgic recipes and traditions for all the warm, fuzzy feels. Whether you’re creating new memories or revisiting old ones, Anne Byrn’s Baking in the American South is the perfect go-to text for cozy Southern desserts and the stories behind them. Straight from the pages of the book, these three iconic recipes will surely be passed around the table for years to come.
Grandmother Bailey’s Soft Gingerbread with Warm Lemon Sauce
With deep roots in regions like West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, gingerbread might just be the most Christmas-centric Southern dessert we can think of — an aromatic seasonal staple with spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
This particular iteration from “Grandmother Bailey” dates back to the Depression era, and it was passed down through generations by a West Virginia woman who used to bake it in her coal stove. Topped with a warm lemon sauce that oozes down the sides, it offers the perfect balance of tang and spice. Get the recipe HERE.
Nellie McGowan’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Much like every East Coast recipe book features cheesecake, you’d be hard-pressed to pick up a Southern cookbook without finding a few great pound cake recipes. With flavor and texture galore, cream cheese pound cake is a particular favorite — a creamier version of the classic.
This rendition was developed by the late Nellie McGowan of Georgia, who blended simple ingredients like sugar, butter, eggs, flour, and cream cheese for a moist cake that’s simple to make but a guaranteed crowd please. Get the recipe HERE.
Maryland Jewish Apple Cake
We’re all about an apple pie to send us spinning into the delicious nostalgia of our youth. But apple cake is a longstanding beloved Southern standard, too. In her book, Anne says, “This rich and dense coffee cake with a layer of apple and cinnamon inside and on top has been linked to Baltimore, and the recipe comes from the Jewish Museum of Maryland and historian Joyce White. From the 1830s to the 1870s, more than 10,000 Jewish people arrived in Baltimore from Germany and Central and Eastern Europe, bringing their baking traditions with them.”
Laced with tart apples and warming spices, this cake is a genuine treat. Get the recipe HERE.
Packed with recipes, baking tips, and plenty of Southern lore, Baking in the American South makes a FABULOUS holiday gift!
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