Y'all know we love our sugar in the South. Pies, cakes and doughnuts are found in abundance in any kitchen and dining room, no matter if it's a special occasion or just a Wednesday. To help add to your sugary repertoire, we've rounded up our favorite desserts, from tried-and-true classics to new takes on tradition.

Click the slides above to see the desserts. 

Photo credit: Kate Williams

Quick Beignets

Beignets are little bites of sweet heaven, dusted with powdered sugar and consumed with a cup of café au lait. We’ve created a recipe that cuts down on the time it takes to make 'em, leaving you more time to enjoy this dessert with your guests. But keep in mind: It's actually the eating that can get a little complicated — or just messy. You may be destined to end up covered in powdered sugar during your first few attempts, so if you're trying to keep your shirt clean, follow these tips from chef Jeffrey Gardner to keep that sugar in your mouth where it belongs.
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Photo credit: Ramona King

Anne Byrn's Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

That first slice into a red velvet cake, revealing its bright red color, will catch the attention of any guest. Of course, you can always forgo the food coloring and let the natural chemical reaction of acidic and basic ingredients determine the color of the cake, but where’s the fun in that? When we make red velvet cake, we like to go all in, food coloring and all. While this cake is traditionally served around Valentine’s day, it’s perfectly acceptable to serve this treat any time you please. 
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Photo credit: Mitch Mandel

Buttermilk Pralines

Pralines are a beloved treat from Savannah to New Orleans. Luckily, you don’t have to travel to one of those cities to enjoy one of these melt-in-your-mouth candies. They're not too difficult to make at home, but if you’ve never made pralines before, cut the recipe in half the first time to help you get the hang of it. If worst comes to worst, and the candy hardens too quickly before you’re able to spoon it onto the baking sheet, don’t worry. You can always return it to the stove and reheat it slightly. Practice makes perfect!
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Photo credit: Ramona King

Chocolate Fudge Little Layer Cake

This show-stopping dessert is almost too pretty to eat. Thin layers of cake and fudgy frosting stack on top of each other to create a layer cake that offers the perfect amount of frosting and cake in each bite. Southern Kitchen’s Visual Content Producer Ramona King grew up eating this cake and shared her grandmother’s recipe, and the process it takes to make it, with Southern Kitchen’s Associate Editor Kate Williams. King remembered this layer cake could always be found on a cake stand at her grandmother’s house, but making the cake herself wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. “We never had any idea how much work had gone into her perfect masterpiece,” she said. “You definitely want to let this rest for at least a few hours before serving. This allows the fudge to cool and settle and the preparer to wash dishes and take a nap!"
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Photo credit: Ramona King

Coca-Cola Cake

Coca-Cola is a favorite soda among Southerners, so of course we’re going to bake with it. To ensure the flavor of the Coca-Cola comes through and isn’t overpowered by the sugar or cocoa, we’ve eliminated the traditional marshmallows in the cake. We’ve also added texture to the cake by generously sprinkling toasted nuts on top of the frosting. The nuts also counteract the sweetness, and help to bring out the inherent bitterness of the soda. To create a bolder Coca-Cola flavor and a moister cake, poke holes throughout the cake to allow the frosting to soak into the cake. You’ll end up with an unbelievably moist and sticky cake with a distinctive flavor that smacks of the South.
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Photo credit: Kate Williams

Coconut Pudding Cake

This Southern classic is pure coconut decadence: A dense but moist yellow cake is layered with homemade vanilla pudding, coconut and cream cheese frosting. As you may guess, this cake is kind of a project, but we've got some tips to help you get it done, stresss-free. 
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Angel Berry Pie

A mix of meringue, fresh fruit and whipped cream, angel berry pie is light, fluffy and downright heavenly. While this pie can be filled with all manner of cream, fruit, curds and syrups, we’ve chosen to top our version with slices of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Whip up this pantry-ingredient pie for guests at your next gathering and serve any leftovers for breakfast the next morning. 
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Photo credit: Kate Williams

Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

This quick and easy cobbler captures the essence of summer with juicy peaches and sweet-tart blackberries. You can always use a glass baking dish for this dessert, but we love the rustic appeal of baking in cast iron for this dessert. 
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Photo credit: Ideabar Austin

Southern Kitchen's Pecan Pie

We’re nuts about pecans in the South, so it’s no surprise that pecan pie is one of the most popular Southern desserts. The ooey-gooey sugary filling combined with chopped nuts makes for a chewy and crunchy texture that's totally obsession-worthy. This pie belongs on the table all year round. 
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Photo credit: Ramona King

Mississippi Mud Cake

We love creating new takes on beloved Southern desserts, such as our Mississippi mud cake, a cousin of the gooier and messier mud pie. It's easy to make too; all you need to do is bake a simple chocolate sheet cake and top it with marshmallows and a loose chocolate icing.
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Photo credit: Ramona King

Cold-Oven Pound Cake

Believe us when we say this is how pound cake is meant to taste: dense, moist and buttery. Southern Kitchen reader Joe Roy Pendarvis adapted this cake recipe from his great-grandmother’s by swapping out a few ingredients to improve its flavor. To add a little bit more decadence (because why not?), Pendarvis likes to dribble in a couple tablespoons of peach brandy into the mix. And by using a low and slow baking technique, you’ll end up with a real deal pound cake at the end of the process. 
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Photo credit: Kate Williams