February 8, 2026
These ‘lost’ recipes are making their resurgence in Black kitchens thanks to this TikToker.
A Black TikToker is doing her part this Black History Month by reviving old recipes steeped in heritage.
Trained dessert artist Sonja Norwood, whose page is called Wick’d Confections, is bringing back forgotten favorites from grandma’s kitchen. With each recipe, she not only lists the ingredients but also the history of each dish as it relates to Black culture.
The historic cooking lessons have gone viral for this unique way of embracing the culture. One popular video has featured Burnt Sugar cake, a traditional treat used in Black southern households before boxed mixes took over U.S. grocery stores.
@wickdconfections If someone makes you this cake… they love you. Because this is a labor of love. 🤎🔥 For Black History Month, I’m bringing back Burnt Sugar Cake, a historic Black Southern celebration cake that slowly faded when box mixes took over. Burnt Sugar Cake Burnt Sugar Syrup • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g) • 1 cup boiling water (240 ml) Melt sugar over medium heat until deep amber (do not stir, swirl pan). Carefully add boiling water, stir smooth, simmer 3–5 min. Cool. Reserve ½ cup for cake + ½ cup for frosting. Cake • 1 cup butter, softened (227 g) • 2 cups sugar (400 g) • 4 eggs • 3 cups cake flour (360 g) • 1 tbsp baking powder (14 g) • ½ tsp salt • 1 cup whole milk (240 ml) • ½ cup burnt sugar syrup • 2 tsp vanilla Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease three 8-inch pans. Cream butter + sugar 3–5 min. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk dry ingredients. Alternate dry ingredients + milk into batter. Mix in burnt sugar syrup + vanilla. Bake 25–30 min. Cool completely. Traditional Burnt Sugar Frosting (work fast!) • ½ cup butter (113 g) • 1 cup brown sugar (200 g) • ½ cup burnt sugar syrup • ¼ cup evaporated milk (60 ml) • 3–4 cups powdered sugar (360–480 g) • pinch salt + 1 tsp vanilla Boil butter, brown sugar, syrup & milk 2 minutes. Cool until warm, then beat in powdered sugar, salt & vanilla. Frost cake quickly before it sets. Optional Brown Sugar Penuche Frosting (creamier outside) • 1½ cups butter, divided (340 g) • 1½ cups brown sugar (300 g) • ½ cup heavy cream (120 ml) • 1 tsp salt • 4½ cups powdered sugar (540 g) Melt ¾ cup butter. Boil brown sugar + cream + salt. Beat into melted butter with powdered sugar. Add remaining butter 1 tbsp at a time. Rest 10–30 min until spreadable. Assemble Fill and frost cake with traditional burnt sugar frosting. Optional: cover outside with penuche frosting. Finish with rustic swoops and swirls. #BlackHistory #TikTokLearn#BlackHistoryBlackFoodHistory#TikTokLearningCampaign ♬ original sound – Wick’d Confections
“We’re losing recipes and I’m going to find out if that’s for a good reason, detailed Norwood in the video with over 2 million views. “All Black History Month, I’m making Black American recipes that we left behind.”
Her videos offer more context to why Black people developed certain recipes, such as Norwood’s lesson on Blackberry dumplings. The viral clip provided insight into the versatility and resourcefulness of Black people as certain foods became a commodity. It also unveiled how Black people created sweet treats even with limited ingredients, letting her followers know “we had berries, not sugar money.”
@wickdconfections Lost Black American Recipes: Blackberries & Dumplings 🍇🥟 Blackberries and dumplings is a sweet summertime dish rooted in Black American food culture. When sugar and money were scarce, the land provided. Black families relied on foraging, gathering blackberries that grew freely along fence lines, woods, and roadsides across the South. What began as necessity became tradition — turning simple ingredients into a communal, nourishing meal. Passed down orally and cooked intuitively, this dish was rarely written into cookbooks. Flour stretched what little was available, dumplings absorbed the berry juices, and one pot could feed many for very little. Though we still see cobblers today, blackberries and dumplings remain a largely forgotten seasonal treat — one deeply connected to land, resilience, and care. Blackberries & Dumplings Recipe Blackberry Syrup: 4 cups blackberries 1 cup sugar 2 cups water 1 tbsp lemon juice Lemon zest Dumplings: 2 cups flour ¼ cup sugar 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp nutmeg ¾ cup milk 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla Simmer blackberries with sugar, water, lemon juice, and zest until juicy. Mix dumpling dough until it feels right. Drop spoonfuls into simmering berries, don’t stir, cover and cook 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve warm with plenty of syrup. Follow along as I honor Black history through lost recipes — one pot at a time. #BlackHistory #TikTokLearningCampaign #BlackAmericanFood #LostRecipes #FoodHistory ♬ original sound – Wick’d Confections
“When sugar and money were scarce, the land provided. Black families relied on foraging, gathering blackberries that grew freely along fence lines, woods, and roadsides across the South. What began as necessity became tradition — turning simple ingredients into a communal, nourishing meal,” she wrote in its description.
As she bakes up the delicious goods, she describes the dessert’s role in Black American households. As each video goes viral, she encourages Black people to return these dishes to their tables all February long.
Calling it “Black history on a plate,” Norwood’s meals go beyond treat time. She also features dishes such as Chicken Sweet Potato Curry Greens and Short Rib Stew. Other recipes also found modern revival, such as the forgotten Vinegar Pie. Norwood deemed the unusual treat as a testimony to Black people’s ingenuity during times of struggle.
@wickdconfections Lost Black American Recipes: Vinegar Pie 🥧 To kick off Black History Month, I’m starting a series honoring lost and forgotten Black American recipes—beginning with vinegar pie. Also known as desperation pie or pantry pie, this dessert was born from necessity. When fruit and citrus were scarce, home cooks used simple pantry staples to create something sweet, comforting, and joyful. Made with sugar, eggs, butter, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, vinegar pie has a flaky crust and a rich custard filling. The vinegar doesn’t make it sour—it adds brightness, mimicking the tang of fruit and balancing the sweetness. It’s a reminder of how Black foodways transform struggle into creativity and care. 🖤 Vinegar Pie Recipe (9-inch pie): 4 eggs ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar ½ tsp vanilla 6 tbsp butter, melted 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp flour ¾ tsp salt Unbaked 9-inch pie crust Blind bake crust at 350°F (175°C). Whisk remaining ingredients until smooth, pour into crust, and bake 35–45 minutes. The center should still wobble slightly when gently shaken. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar. Follow along as we honor Black history through food—one lost recipe at a time. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackAmericanFood #LostRecipes #BlackFoodHistory #FoodReels ♬ original sound – Wick’d Confections
She wrote, “Also known as desperation pie or pantry pie, this dessert was born from necessity. When fruit and citrus were scarce, home cooks used simple pantry staples to create something sweet, comforting, and joyful… It’s a reminder of how Black foodways transform struggle into creativity and care.”
While her Black American recipes make rounds on social media, Norwood’s Wick’d Confections is another clever way of celebrating Black History Month at the dinner table.
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