Southern Sweets

I loooove sweets! Nothing cures my my sweet-tooth more than cake though. It's a weakness of mine that I can't seem to resist no matter how hard I try. I can easily indulge in it everyday if you let me and I probably would if it wasn't for the pounds I most likely would pack on! Oh, I don't care what kind of cake it is...chocolate, lemon, vanilla, custard, carrot, or even banana. I love it all! I will admit though that my favorite all time cake is Rum Raspberry which is very difficult to find since most places don't make it. This is probably why most of my friends don't know that this is my favorite kind of cake. But now you know since you're reading this post! So I guess I would have to say my favorite cakes that come in second and third then are chocolate or lemon. I'm not sure what it is about cake that makes it so addicting for me but most likely it's the texture. That soft, moist, but dense texture combined with sugary sweetness always reels me in.

During my first few weeks here in Atlanta, I kept seeing this deep red cake with white frosting on it all over the grocery and convenient stores. I found out that it's called Red Velvet Cake and is very popular in the south. Being from the west coast, I've never really seen Red Velvet cake before as it is not a widely popular cake. In fact, I think if it wasn't for the movie Steel Magnolias I probably never would have heard of it. I've only had Red Velvet cake once which a friend of mine made for my birthday last year and it seemed to be pretty good. However, I'm here in the south now and I really wanted to try the REAL thing! I was about to buy a slice from the local grocery store when the The Tyger stepped in and said, "Don't buy that one. I know of a better place!"

The Tyger introduced me to a bakery about an 8 minute drive from her apartment called Southern Sweets which makes homemade cakes from scratch. They sell a diverse assortment of cakes which include chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, keylime, caramel, gingerbread, strawberry, mint, and of course red velvet! They also sell pies, cookies, different pound cakes, brownies, and even have a variety of vegan cakes! You have the option of buying a full cake or a slice for about $5. Buying the whole cake would send me to the hospital though so I always buy it by the slice. The slices are large enough that I can get about 3 servings out of it! Plenty to cure that sugar craving I get! The menu doesn't stop there though. They also have a lunch menu which includes soups, sandwiches, and salads. I haven't had a chance to try their lunch menu yet but I hope to do so soon!

Finding the bakery is very tricky as it located off of a main road, in a corner behind a bunch of other buildings off a dirt road! If it wasn't for The Tyger bringing me there for the first time, I would have no clue that it was even in this particular location! Even the signs coming from her apartment are small and easy to miss. Walking in you'll find a small area where people are sitting enjoying their meals. The place is no bigger than my last apartment back in California. To order, walk straight to the back to the counter, place your order, pay, then go sit down. They'll bring your food out to you. The people who work there are very friendly and I find myself hanging out for a good 20 minutes chatting with everyone before I leave. They seem to remember me too when I return even though I don't go there as often as I would like!

So what about the Red Velvet cake??? Yes, I did buy a slice of it and dug into southern tradition. To be honest, I was bit surprised by how it tasted. It tasted like a regular cake with a little more denseness than other cakes I've had. That deep color of red fooled me into thinking that I was gonna taste something like cherry or strawberry but I didn't. I believe that's why I was surprised. The frosting though is what gets you since it is made from a cream cheese base. Overall, it was still very good!

In every new city, you always have to find something that makes you feel settled. It's funny how the little things such as finding a favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or even park to hang out can make a person feel at home. I feel Southern Sweets is one of those places that I have found which makes me feel like this. The Tyger and I are fortunate to be so close to a place that not only serves delicious cakes but also can cure my sweet-tooth! Makes it all the easier to feel at home.