Mashed potatoes are the secret hiding inside one of the sweetest breakfasts in North Carolina, and most first-timers never guess it. Moravian sugar cake looks plain from a distance, just a flat golden square dotted with little wells of butter and brown sugar.
Then you take a bite and wonder why nobody told you about it sooner. Here are five bakeries worth a detour, each one with its own reason to pull over.
1. Winkler Bakery, Winston-Salem, NC
Bread has been baked on this spot since 1800, which makes a stop here feel a little like time travel with a snack at the end. The bakery sits in the heart of Old Salem, and its centuries-old wood-fired oven still does the heavy lifting.
Walk through the door and the smell hits first. Wood smoke, warm sugar cake, and paper-thin ginger and spice cookies mix into an aroma that is hard to walk away from.
Samples are often on offer, and the staff know their history well, so questions are welcome.
The sugar cake is the star, but sugar bread, fresh loaves, cookie sandwiches, and cinnamon rolls round out the shelves. Coffee is available too, though this is a grab-and-go spot with no seating inside.
Plan ahead, since doors open only Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Free street parking makes it easy, and a fall stroll through Old Salem afterward is the perfect way to work off a second square.
2. Wilkerson Moravian Bakery, Winston-Salem, NC
Freshness is the whole game at this family bakery. Sugar cake often arrives at the Stratford Road storefront straight from the commercial kitchen, sometimes just minutes before you walk in.
The family has been baking since 1925, and that five-generation story shows in the recipe. Real potatoes, local honey, and pure butter go into the soft, pillowy dough.
The brown sugar and cinnamon topping melts into a gooey golden crown that clings to your fingers.
Do not leave without the cheese straws or a tin of crisp Moravian cookies. Some treats even use rum made at the coast in Kill Devil Hills, a fun nod to the whole state.
Road trippers will love the drive-through, plus a free parking lot for anyone who wants to browse. Hours run Tuesday through Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM.
Wednesday mornings tend to be calm, while Saturdays get busy fast.
3. Dewey’s Bakery, Winston-Salem, NC
Ask almost anyone raised in the Triad about Dewey’s and you will probably get a sweet memory in return. Since 1930, this bakery has been a household name across the Piedmont.
Moravian sugar cake and Moravian cookies are classics here, but the cases hold plenty more. Cream horns, eclairs, impressive decorated cakes, and even ice cream flavors like birthday cake keep the sweet tooth busy.
The Stratford Road shop keeps long hours, Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM. That makes it an easy evening stop after a day exploring Winston-Salem.
Coffee, free wi-fi, and a free lot add to the convenience.
Fun fact: each batch of Dewey’s sugar cake is handmade, a process that takes about four hours from dough to golden top.
4. Dewey’s Bakery Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Sundae lovers, this stop is for you. The Greensboro shop on West Friendly Avenue puts a playful spin on old Moravian favorites.
Fresh ice cream gets layered with cake and crunchy Moravian cookies to make treats called Dewzy bars. It is a fun way to taste tradition without sitting through a history lesson.
Still, the sugar cake deserves a box for the road. Here is a pro tip: warm a slice in the oven at home with an extra swipe of butter, and it tastes even better.
Unlike the Winston-Salem shop, this one offers dine-in seating and a restroom, handy for families. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11 AM to 8 PM and Sunday noon to 6 PM.
5. Get It to Go, Winston-Salem, NC
Underdogs make the best stories, and this little bakery on Thomasville Road is a true local secret. Plenty of Winston-Salem regulars insist its sugar cake can hold its own against the big names.
The shop is part bakery and part pie shop. Cakes, pies, cupcakes, dessert bars, and adorable cake pops fill the case, and the cheese straws are a must.
Friendly staff make ordering easy, whether you need a quick treat or a full celebration cake. Everything is takeout, so grab your box and keep rolling.
Check the hours before you go. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday, open Tuesday 9 AM to 6 PM, Wednesday through Friday 7 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday only from 9 AM to noon.
Come early and make it this weekend.