Southern tea cake: the new cupcake?

After all the attention cupcakes have received over the last few years, one could say they’ve had their share of time in the proverbial sun. We covered Fru Fru and Sprinkles back in 2007, but recently we were alerted to a new alternative: Tennessee T-Cakes. Billed as “the ultimate Southern confection,” Tennessee T-Cakes are diminutive delicacies with a big, romantic story behind them. They resemble cupcakes in size and shape, but feature a texture more like that of a brownie and a dusting of powdered sugar in place of the heavy frosting. Available by the box with prices starting at USD 10.95 per dozen, T-Cakes come in four variations—Key Lime, Luscious Lemon, Chocolate Truffle and Original—with Raspberry and crunchy Brittle coming soon. The closely guarded recipe for Tennessee T-Cakes dates back to ante-bellum Tennessee and a young belle’s culinary talent—reputed to have won a Civil War captain’s heart. The world will never tire of interesting new desserts, just as it will never tire of a good story to go with them. Need some directed motivation? Find an old or little-remembered delicacy from your own region, upgrade and adapt it to modern tastes, and garnish with some skillful storytelling and a heaping helping of (still) made here appeal. Next, breathe deeply, for you will soon savor the smell of sweet success! 😉 (Related: Bakery focuses on bite-sized treats — Upgraded popsicles, Mexican style.)