Consumers’ growing interest in seeking out sophisticated versions of comfort foods – “things we ate when we were kids” – is one of many driving factors behind the trend toward increased sales of gourmet, specialty and premium baked goods.

Everyone agrees that homemade baked goods outshine those that are store-bought, thanks to higher quality ingredients, as well as the personal touch and love that goes into the baking. Even top-end baked goods at the most exclusive markets beloved by foodies usually fail to measure up to home-baked cookies, cakes and pies.

However, patrons of the Pound Cake Company in Benson, N.C., attest that the sweet treats that come out of this unique bakery, which is housed in a former elementary school, are just like homemade because of the love and commitment to quality that owners Jan Matthews-Hodges and Bobby Jenkins put into each and every baked good. And unlike most store-bought baked goods, the treats produced at the Pound Cake Company are all made by hand, with an attention to detail and commitment to quality that is second to none.

“We believe in this age of mass-produced sameness, there is still room for high-quality gourmet products made by hand by people who care about what they do,” Jan told Foodie News. “Our mission is to provide high-quality products at an affordable price while at the same time providing jobs and opportunity to the rural community where we live and work.”

The company employs 18 full-time and part-time bakers who can turn out thousands of baked goods every week. That means 5,000 to 6,000 pound cakes for Valentine’s Day and Easter and more than 10,000 during the Christmas holidays.