Featured image provided by Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Sweet Recognition: Historic Hotel Bethlehem honored for preserving culinary history
Historic Hotels of America selects iconic Moravian Sugar Cake for prestigious list
Bethlehem, PA (October 10, 2025) – Historic Hotels of America® recognized Historic Hotel Bethlehem’s beloved Moravian Sugar Cake with a spot on The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Culinary Heritage and Traditions list. The list honors historic hotels that “have made important contributions to the culinary heritage and preservation of culinary history in the United States.” Historic Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce Haines said, “It’s truly a sweet honor to be recognized amongst some of the most noteworthy culinary accomplishments in history. Our Moravian Sugar Cake is recognized alongside Boston Cream Pie, Parker House Rolls, and Green Goddess Dressing.”
About Moravian Sugar Cake
Bethlehem’s storied Moravian Sugar Cake is a rich, buttery coffee cake made with potato dough, brown sugar, and lots of butter. The chef presses indentations into the top of the cake before baking to create pools of butter and sugar. The cake has a soft, slightly chewy texture and a delicate cinnamon scent. “I absolutely love waking up to the scent of fresh baked Moravian Sugar Cake and so do our guests. For the past twenty years, we’ve served it as a complimentary treat for our overnight guests in our lobby every morning and we sell it by the piece at the Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor,” said Kelly Ronalds Director of Room Sales and Guest Experience at Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Moravian Sugar Cake has deep roots in historic Bethlehem. It evolved from traditional European yeast breads. Moravian settlers eventually sweetened the recipe and brought it to America. The Moravians were a Protestant religious group who emigrated to the American colonies in the 1700s to seek religious freedom. Many of them settled in Bethlehem. Traditionally, the Moravians would serve the cake during a “Love Feast,” a time during worship where parishioners could have a snack to hold them over through the service. It was also popular for special occasions and church festivals, especially around Easter and Christmas. Ronalds said, “Carrying on this beloved local tradition today, really does give you a sweet taste of history.”
About Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Historic Hotel Bethlehem, located adjacent to the newest US UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Historic Moravian Bethlehem, is celebrating over 100 years as a community hotel. Guests enjoy the luxury historic destination hotel’s original 1922 elegance in its 125 guest rooms, along with the grandeur of the lobby, two distinct restaurants, two elegant ballrooms and seven meeting rooms. The hotel also offers Nine new Extended Stay Suites, an Executive Conference Center, Ladies Boutique Shoppe, Steel Magnolia Spa & Salon, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, and the Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor serving Penn State Creamery ice Cream. The hotel is affiliated with Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. USA Today named Historic Hotel Bethlehem the “#1 Best Historic Hotel in the Nation” for five straight years 2021-2025. For more information visit hotelbethlehem.com.
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels from across the United States of America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save places where our history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.
