The search for L.A.'s best snack cakes began after spotting a few fancy-pants versions of childhood favorites around town—think decked out Ding Dongs and twee Twinkies. But as we started exploring, we noticed an array of other tempting mini-cakes that necessitated tasting, and so we expanded our survey to include smaller versions of cake classics that managed to pack as much oomph into their petite forms as their full-sized big sisters. Pretty was a plus, but they couldn't rest on their cuteness—they had to be moist, flavorful, and seriously delicious. More

Decadent is a word that gets thrown around a lot when talking about food—particularly eats of the rich, sweet, chocolaty, creamy variety. But as overused as the term might be, it was a pretty fitting title for Decadence, the dessert-themed after party held Saturday night as part of Los Angles Food & Wine. The real stars were the sweets, which ranged from sarsaparilla chocolate "joints" to Fruity Pebbles funnel cake to L.A.'s favorite budino. More

Is there a sweeter way to start a day than with cup of really good coffee or tea and a perfect pastry? On a particularly blah morning, this combination can be the gentle nudge you need to get your day going. And with a repertoire of sweet breakfast treats from meticulously constructed croissants to sloppy, ooey-gooey sticky buns, L.A.'s bakeries are fully primed to give you that needed morning lift. More

Glorious, versatile pie: is there another dessert with so much variety? With all number of flavors and fillings, with crusts varying from pure butter to salty pretzel. There is a pie for every taste: fruity, chocolatey, root vegetable-y. With this vast diversity in mind, we set out to track down the best pies San Francisco had to offer. More

We couldn't help but notice that the city's cookie jars are brimming with sandwich cookies. The key to these confections, whether filled with tart, fruity jam, thin layers of buttercream, or utterly insensible mounds of cream cheese frosting, is the cookie-to-filling ratio. Here are 9 of our L.A. favorites. More

When it opened for business in 1921, the first See's Candies shop was a small storefront at 135 North Western Avenue, in the heart of what is now Los Angeles' Koreatown. The founder, Charles See, set up a candy kitchen in the back of the shop, where he turned out his mother Mary's recipes for dipped bon bons, maple walnut creams, and toffee. Last week, I had my own personal Golden Ticket moment when I got to tour the See's factory and watch the candy getting made. More

As with dumplings or meat-on-a-stick, every culinary tradition seems to have its own version of a slushy, ice-based sweet treat, from the audacious, over-the-top Korean patbingsu to the comparatively austere Italian ice. Though the interpretations of these shivery, sugary confections show amazing range, at their core, they share an ability to elevate simple frozen water into refreshing, flavorful summer treasures. Thanks to its tremendous diversity and its extended stretches of warm weather, Los Angeles offers what may be an unmatched opportunity to sample the world of these frosty treats. More

Sweet eats are in abundance at the San Diego County, including everything from deep-fried Kool-aid to funnel cake-style churros. More

Bhan Kanom Thai shares its shopping center digs with a handful of other South East Asian eateries, including one of the city's best Thai steam tables, and an Esaan joint with an inexplicable aviation motif. But as any of Bhan Kanom's staff will quickly explain to you, "Bhan" means house and "Kanom" refers to dessert, and so unlike its savory neighbors, this house of sugary snacks is all about the sweets. Take a look at how they're made. More

San Francisco has become quite the town for ice cream, despite hot days being a rarity. Rather than finding this incongruous, we think it's a sign of the city's true dedication to its frozen treats. With that in mind, we set out to find the best ice cream sundaes San Francisco had to offer, armed with little but our love of dairy and a hefty supply of Lactaid. More