The first time Ivy Odom showed up on my radar was in January 2017, when she was still fresh out of culinary school. I’d gotten word that a young Test Kitchen Professional was making a showstopping dessert that I really needed to see. So I went upstairs to our Food Studios, the sprawling space where we create and photograph recipes, and there was Ivy, putting the finishing touches on an 18-layer chocolate cake. She called it a “little layer cake,” and a small crowd of food stylists and recipe developers had gathered to watch because they had never heard of such a thing. Sounding like a seasoned cook far beyond her years, Ivy talked about the dessert’s origins in parts of Georgia and Alabama and how her great-grandmother had often made it for special occasions. She and her mother had both grown up requesting it for their birthdays, and she was hoping to make a version of it for Southern Living readers.
At the time, we were experimenting with different kinds of food videos online, so our longtime director, Mike Grady, asked if she’d like to re-create the cake in the studio the following week. All the recipes we were shooting back then were what we called “hands and pans”—very short and straight to the point—but Mike had a hunch about this one. He asked Ivy to tell the story behind the recipe and why it was important to her family. Like everyone else who watched it, I was charmed by her sense of humor, her enthusiasm, and her understanding of Southern culture. Ivy explained the cake’s history as she worked, carefully alternating each layer with a thin coating of chocolate frosting. Just as she’d done it before, the finished product was a thing of beauty, but what stopped me in my tracks was the way she brought it to life on camera. Ivy wasn’t just a talented cook or a budding on-screen personality—she was a born storyteller.
The video went viral, and she has since become a fixture at Southern Living. She writes a popular column in the magazine, has made several appearances on national television shows, does food and drink demonstrations at events, and shares cooking and hosting tips on social media. Her family has pitched in, too, whether it’s her husband, Luis; her father, Wayne (who goes by Farmer WayneO); or her mother, Sabrina. Her house has become a film set, and she has invited millions of Southern Living followers into her kitchen, helping a whole new generation with recipes for everything from weeknight dinners to holiday celebrations to Kentucky Derby parties to drinks like sweet tea (with a pinch of baking soda). I’m not sure what her secret is, but Ivy is an old soul who somehow, in her early thirties, speaks with the wisdom and authority of a Southern grandmother. She has a confidence that can only come from countless hours in the kitchen and understands how some dishes can stir our emotions as well as our appetites. Ivy also loves the spirit of a Georgia Bulldogs tailgate and the memories it conjures. She embraces quirky traditions, like burying a bottle of bourbon to keep the rain away on your wedding day, and knows the best recipes are meant to be shared. That’s what inspired Ivy to write her first cookbook, My Southern Kitchen, which is coming out today. With over 100 recipes, it’s filled with colorful stories, gorgeous photographs, and Ivy’s uniquely Southern ideas for entertaining. And if you have a special occasion coming up, it also has that magic recipe for her Little Layer Chocolate Cake. Enjoy!
