A Sweet Read: "Cake Ladies"

Who doesn't love cake? And who doesn't love having a friend who makes great cakes? Down South, they're called cake ladies, and a very sweet new cookbook pays tribute to the multi-generational tradition.

In "Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition," Jodi Rhoden, a cake lady herself and owner of Asheville, NC's Short Street Cakes, profiles 17 women across the South who are relied on for their pound cakes, mud cakes, buttercreams and even vegan cupcakes. (Check out my little brother's New Orleans roommate on page 92, part of how this book came on my radar.)

The pages are filled with mouthwatering photos of beautiful confections, recipes and touching life stories of the women behind the cakes. A perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth or the cake baker in your life.

Click on over for the book's German chocolate cake recipe.