New Albany’s claim to cake fame: Sugaree’s Bakery

New Albany's claim to cake fame. New Albany's claim to cake fame: Sugaree's Bakery.

Key points

• In 2015, Oprah's O List featured Sugaree's cream cheese pound cake, and The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide highlighted its red velvet cake.
• Its red velvet cake earned a spot in The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide.
• Almost 30 years afterwards, Sugaree's has become one of Mississippi's best-known bakeries, with customers stretching far beyond the Magnolia State.
• Russell opened the bakery's retail storefront in 2001, giving New Albany residents a place to purchase the desserts that were steadily gaining a after.
• A Far Out stay in Starkville: The motel with a Johnny Cash past.

New Albany's claim to cake fame. New Albany's claim to cake fame: Sugaree's Bakery. By: Meredith Biesinger – October 22, 2026. (Photo from Sugaree's Bakery).

For a business that began almost three decades ago, Sugaree's has accomplished quite a bit. Its desserts have appeared in national publications, traveled thousands of miles, and become part of celebrations in homes nationwide.

Notably, a Mississippi bakery created Oprah's O List. Its red velvet cake earned a spot in The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide. And individuals from one end of the country to the other have ordered its desserts for birthdays, holidays, and just concerning any occasion that calls for something sweet. And it all began in New Albany, Mississippi.

When Mary Jennifer Russell, better known as MJ, began a business built on old-fashioned recipes and a love of baking, sugaree's Bakery has been making traditional Southern desserts since 1997. Almost 30 years afterwards, Sugaree's has become one of Mississippi's best-known bakeries, with customers stretching far beyond the Magnolia State.

Step inside, and the smell of butter, sugar, and freshly baked goodness is enough to create you forget why you came, but you'll be glad you did. The cakes are magnificent, stacked high with delicate layers and generous helpings of icing. Pies with golden crusts, rich brownies, cookies, and other sweet temptations create choosing just one almost impossible. If you arrive hungry, good luck.

Sugaree's is particularly famous for its caramel cake, created with thin layers and rich, slow-cooked icing prepared in cast iron. The caramel is buttery and wonderfully rich, with that unmistakable homemade flavor that brings to mind Sunday dinners and family reunions. Though nobody would blame you for sneaking another bite straight from the box, it's the kind of dessert that deserves a proper plate and fork.

Other favorites include strawberry, coconut, red velvet, Italian cream, and cream cheese pound cake. While the red velvet offers a striking contrast of deep red layers and creamy icing, the strawberry cake is especially pretty, with its soft pink color. And the pound cake? Dense, buttery, and delicious without needing much of anything else.

Sugaree's has built its reputation on baking from scratch, using real butter, premium ingredients, and locally sourced products whenever feasible. The recipes are familiar, but the attention given to every batch has supported turn a small-town bakery into a nationally recognized business.

In 2008, Sugaree's began offering online ordering and nationwide shipping. Suddenly, someone in California or New York could have a Southern dessert delivered directly from Mississippi. The national attention followed.

In 2015, Oprah's O List featured Sugaree's cream cheese pound cake, and The New York Times Holiday Gift Guide highlighted its red velvet cake. Russell was named Mississippi's Small Business Person of the Year in 2017, and Southern Living recognized Sugaree's among the South's Best Bakeries in 2021.

As orders rose, the business expanded its production and warehouse facilities in 2022 to accommodate nationwide shipping and regional wholesale distribution.

Through all that expansion, Sugaree's has remained firmly connected to New Albany.

Meanwhile, the bakery is on West Bankhead Street in the city's historic downtown, an area worth exploring. New Albany, the birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, offers a wonderful collection of locally owned shops and restaurants, making it a great place to spend an afternoon.

Sugaree's has even given visitors another reason to stay awhile with its downtown loft, available for overnight accommodations. The space features exposed brick, a comfortable living area, a kitchen, and colorful furnishings. It's an appealing option for anyone planning a weekend in New Albany.

But visitors to New Albany can still walk through the bakery's doors, admire the display case, and experience the place where the business began.

If you're spending a day in town, add Sugaree's to your intends. Explore downtown, visit the local shops, and stop by the bakery before heading home.

Just don't be surprised if you leave with more than you intended to purchase. I promise you, you will.

Plan Your Visit: Sugaree's Bakery is located at 110 W. Bankhead Street in New Albany, Mississippi. For bakery information, nationwide shipping, or details regarding booking the downtown loft, visit here. Regarding the Author(s).

Meredith Biesinger, an educator and syndicated writer, is dedicated to showcasing Mississippians' captivating stories. Her work is a testament to the unique beauty and charm of the Magnolia State, a place that never fails to intrigue and inspire. She and her husband and children are actively engaged in their North Mississippi community and strive to do just that. News Cass Rutledge October 13, 2026. Startup plastics manufacturer Koinonia setting up operations in Drew.

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Taken together, the developments around new Albany's claim to cake fame: Sugaree's Bakery point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.