Southern Cakes

Who doesn't love cake? There's perhaps no dessert that makes you feel more special. It's how we celebrate birthdays and graduations. It's the rarified treat at engagement parties and weddings-and the way we welcome old friends and new babies. Whether it's a cupcake with coffee at the neighbor's house or a three-layer slice at the end of an extravagant meal, cake is a sweet, simple indulgence that makes you feel loved and a little better about the world. And who knows more about cakes than Southern Living, the magazine that outdoes itself every year with new pedestal-topping cakes? Its trusted kitchens and pages have launched or popularized some of the South's-and America's-most iconic and decadent cakes, from Hummingbird Cake to Red Velvet Cupcakes.