Many pastries were made commercially and sold on the local level, such as Moon Pies which were invented in 1917 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and TastyKakes, invented about 1914 in Philadelphia. The first national commercial pastry was Chocolate Cup Cakes (1919), which was reportedly invented by the Indianapolis-based Taggart Bakery, which also made Wonder Bread. The Continental Baking Company purchased Taggart in 1925 and looked for a brand name for its cake products. It settled on the name Hostess. The Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes did not acquire their characteristic white creme filling until after World War II. In 1930, the Continental Baking Company produced Twinkies, and subsequently launched coconut-covered Sno Balls in 1947. It also produced Ding Dongs, a flat chocolate cake first marketed in 1967, which was similar to Ring Dings, produced by Drake's Cakes.

Newman E. Drake baked pound cakes in Brooklyn, New York, in 1888. He expanded his operations to reach outstate New York, New England, and Florida. Drake's Cakes produced Yodels, a chocolate-frosted, creme-filled Swiss roll, and Ring Dings, a chocolate covered, creme-filled chocolate cake. When Hostess released its Ding Dongs, Drake's sued for copyright infringement and Hostess was required to change the name to Big Wheels in areas where Drake's cakes were sold.

The Interstate Brands Corporation (IBC) released its Dolly Madison line of commercial pastries in 1937. The Dolly Madison brand also includes Zingers (creme-filled cakes), Gems (miniature doughnuts), Angel Food and Pound Cakes, and a variety of breakfast items, such as Sweet Rolls, Dunkin Stix, and Pecan Rollers. In 1995, IBC acquired the Continental Baking Company and changed its name to Interstate Bakeries Corporation, but kept its initials. IBC acquired Drake's in 1998. The low- carbohydrate diet craze of the early twenty-first century, coupled with a major business slowdown, caused IBC to declare bankruptcy in 2004.

The McKee Bakery Company (later renamed McKee Foods) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, launched the Little Debbie brand in 1960. The best-selling Little Debbie products include Swiss Cake Rolls, Nutty Bars Wafer Bars, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Fudge Brownies. As of 2005, Little Debbie cakes manufactured by McKee Foods are the best-selling cakes in America, followed by Hostess.

William Entenmann opened his first bakery in Brooklyn, New York, in 1898. He made small cakes, breads, and rolls. His business flourished, and in the 1950s the company began to expand throughout the East coast, selling its goods through grocery stores as well as through its bakeries. In 1961, the company moved to Bay Shore, Long Island. It discontinued making bread and concentrated on pastries. Today, Entenmann's is one of America's largest pastry makers and is the nation's second-largest doughnut maker. The Entenmann's brand is now owned by George Weston Bakeries, a subsidiary of a Canadian firm, which also owns Thomas's English Muffins.

Many companies made fruit pies (actually, turnovers) and doughnuts, which are sold in grocery stores. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are the best-selling doughnuts in grocery stores, followed by those manufactured by Entenmann's and Dolly Madison.