Forget adding a cherry on top; a Georgia bakery has gone viral for its Atlanta-inspired take on a traditional dessert.
Jewel's Treats & More's spin on pound cake, featuring crispy lemon pepper wings, has 1.5 million views on TikTok. A content creator shared the recipe from the Douglasville bakery owner, Tina Arnold.
"This lemon pepper pound cake brings a surprising but pleasing twist to a homemade pound cake," the caption stated.
The sweet-and-savory treat garnered mixed reactions among some social media users.
"Don’t piss me off," one user said on TikTok. Another added, "this is NOT ok."
Many commenters said they predicted the bakery's location based on the use of lemon pepper wings: "of course it’s atlanta," one person added.
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Arnold made the cake to attract new customers, she says
Speaking to Atlanta-based TV station 11Alive, Arnold described the inspiration behind the dessert, which also has a lemon glaze drizzled on top, and she likened it to chicken and waffles. She said she came up with the idea to attract customers to her business.
"I knew it was going to be something that would catch people's attention. People are gonna be mad. Chicken doesn't belong on a cake. Cake and chicken don't belong together," Arnold told the outlet.
"Because I am from Atlanta, and Atlanta -- hey, you know, lemon pepper wings here in Atlanta, it's a big thing. I said, 'You know what? Let's make a lemon pepper pound cake and let's put some wings on top,'" she continued.
According to the bakery's website, the "Lemon Pepper pound cake & WANGZ" is only available on Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m. local time.
Other pound cake flavors sold at Arnold's establishment include 7 Up, Butter Bourbon, Cookies and Cream and Carrot.
Lemon pepper is the official unofficial spice of Georgia
Lemon pepper wings are a staple in Atlanta, sold at a variety of establishments, including takeout spots, strip clubs, and lounges.
The spice has become so synonymous with the city that some restaurants like Breakfast at Barney's selllemon pepper-flavored martinis.
Earlier this year, State Rep. Eric Bell, D-Jonesboro, introduced House Bill 1013, which would make lemon pepper Atlanta's official wing flavor, stating in the proposal that it resonates "across Georgia communities, transcending race, region, and class, and (brings) people together at cookouts, family gatherings, sporting events, and neighborhood restaurants."
"If you grow up in Georgia, you learn about all the things we've officially designated: the state bird, the peach, butter pecan ice cream, Brunswick stew," Bell said, per CBS Atlanta. "Lemon pepper is a culinary phenomenon here. When you travel outside Georgia, you notice pretty quickly that not every place even has lemon pepper wings. That's when you realize how unique it is to the South and to this state."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This bakery is going viral for its lemon pepper wing pound cake
