Hardworking. Loyal. Outspoken. Ahead of their time. Hilarious. The "Fancy Frosters" of Charleston, West Virginia, were a close-knit and devoted circle - a merry band of Southern women who got together once a month to swap recipes and stories, to cook and bake together, to celebrate friendship and have some hearty laughs...and of course to eat.

Food editor and cookbook author Susie Quick's mother Emma was a member of this very special circle of sisters, aunts, cousins, and friends. Susie grew up to be a sophisticated "foodie," but she never forgot the great homemade desserts and ingenious creativity of these talented and delightful home cooks.

The Cake Club collects their most prized recipes for southern desserts, along with those of Susie's other colorful friends and relatives - all presented with their original homespun flair combined with the author's modern simplicity and style. The book includes seventy-five recipes for cakes, pies, cobblers, crumbles, cookies, candies, and other treats, plus a chapter of "Lady Food" that's sure to make a lady out of any cook.

From the very first recipe ("Funeral Cake") to Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Tunnel of Love Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake, Blackberry Bread Pudding, Emma's Molasses Crinkles, Minnie Pearl's Chess Pie, and the other treasured creations in this book, The Cake Club will entertain, inspire, and bring back memories of an earlier era. With stories like "A Good Man Really is Hard to Find" and "Driving Miss Minnie," photographs, and voices from several generations, this unique and delightful cookbook pays tribute to the healing power of friendship, shared recipes, and a delicious piece of cake.