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Food News

Tonya’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake Selected as One of Oprah’s Favorite Things 2024

By V. Sheree Williams
/
November 5, 2024
       
Chapel Hill baker Tonya Council
Pictured: Chapel Hill baker Tonya Council | Photo credit: Tonya's Cookies and Bake Shop

Tonya Council, the talented baker and entrepreneur behind Tonya’s Cookies is once again celebrating the news that her Cream Cheese Pound Cake will be among those products selected for the  2024 Oprah’s Favorite Things holiday gifts list featured on OprahDaily.com and in Oprah Daily’s special print 2024 Holiday Edition, on newsstands nationwide on November 12.

This is the second time that one of Tonya’s delicious creations has been honored with a place on Oprah’s coveted list, following the success of her Pecan Crisp Cookies in 2021. “I’m incredibly grateful to be featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things list for a second time,” says Council.

This year, most gifts have been selected from inspiring small businesses, including women-owned, Black-owned and other minority businesses around the country. Tonya has been a beloved name in the Chapel Hill area for years, most recently opening Tonya’s Cookies & Bake Shop in 2023.

Tonya's Cream Cheese Pound Cake is one of Oprah's Favorite Things
Pictured: Tonya’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake featured in 2024 Oprah’s Favorite Things List | Photo credit: Tonya’s Cookies & Bake Shop

The bakery offers a variety of handcrafted sweets, including her award-winning Pecan Crisp Cookies, decadent cakes, and other baked goods.

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Making the Goodie List Twice with Her Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Known for its rich, buttery flavor and perfectly moist texture, Tonya’s Pound Cake is made with cream cheese and infused with a hint of lemon. Tonya has put her own twist on the original recipe from her grandmother, the late Mildred Council (“Mama Dip”), making it an authentic yet personal Southern dessert experience.

“This pound cake is very special to me, as it carries the flavors and memories of my grandmother’s Southern baking traditions. It’s such an honor to share a piece of that with more people this holiday season,” says Council.

Tonya’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake will be available for purchase in store and online at Tonya’s Cookies and Bake Shop, at Sweet Tea & Cornbread in Raleigh’s Crabtree Valley Mall, and in the Oprah’s Favorite Things gift guide exclusively in Amazon’s store at amazon.com/oprah, as well as via the Amazon shopping app.

A special mini pound cake and pecan crisp cookie duo will also be available in store and online at Tonya’s Cookies and Bake Shop.

Tonya's mini cream cheese pound cake and pecan crisp cookie duo
Pictured: Tonya’s mini pound cake and pecan crisp cookie duo | Photo credit: Tonya’s Cookies & Bake Shop

Oprah’s Favorite Things list is a must-have holiday shopping guide that features the most ingenious gadgets, fashionable sustainable goods, decadent desserts and the finest finds in home, fashion, and beauty, with 51 gifts under $50.

For more than 25 years, the brand has showcased must-give gifts for the holidays, often serving as a launch pad for small businesses and highlighting the inspiring stories of the owners behind the products.

From November 12 through November 23, 2024, 12 lucky readers will have the chance to win all of the items on Oprah’s Favorite Things List in the 12-Day Give-O-Way Sweepstakes by entering OprahDaily.com.

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