Gayle and Oprah

 
Oprah calls her Legends Weekend one of the great highlights of her life. During the three-day celebration at her home in Santa Barbara, California, she honored African-American women who have paved the way for others. On Monday, May 22, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, she's sharing the once-in-a-lifetime event during the primetime special Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball.

Recently, the stars got a sneak peek at the premiere in New York. Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Barbara Walters, Tyra Banks, Alicia Keyes, Tyler Perry and many others were there for the big night. Rapper P. Diddy was especially moved—Gayle says that he got so emotional he said he was "buggin'."

Celebrate Oprah's Legends and the legends in your own life—throw a party to watch the party! Invite your friends over and toast the occasion.
Gayle King

 
Oprah's best friend, Gayle King, a former news anchor, is in for her sweetest assignment ever! In February 2006, she went on a mission in search of the best burger in America—but after traveling coast-to-coast, Gayle realized she had a higher calling...to uncover the country's best cake!
Gayle visits the Icebox Cafe in Miami.

 
First stop, the Icebox Café in Miami! Before Gayle sits down with owner Robert Siegmann to sample the sweets, she asks for a moment to ogle the divine desserts in the bakery's display case. "Chocolate and cookies and pies, oh my!" Gayle says. "Am I in heaven and don't know it?"

She starts by tasting the cinnamon butter bundt cake. "This is very, very, very good," says Gayle. Other popular cakes at The Icebox include strawberry shortcake, coconut buttercream cake and "The Bomb," a cheesecake brownie sandwiched inside chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling.
Gayle visits Shaquille O'Neal and his wife Shaunie

 
Shaq and Shaunie sit down with Gayle in the kitchen to sample the goods, starting with a favorite of Shaq's, strawberry shortcake. The coconut buttercream and "The Bomb" chocolate cakes are also a big hit with the couple. "Oprah, this is the best cake in Miami right here!" Shaq says.

Mr. and Mrs. O'Neal may have the same take on cake...but matters of the heart are another story. Shaunie says the two met when he "stalked" her wearing "an obnoxious white suit with white shoes and white tie."

"And a white hat," Shaq says.

"It was awful, Gayle," says Shaunie. "He sent his cousin over to talk to me for him. How [age] 12 is that?"

Before long Shaq's charms began to work their magic. "He was so funny. He made me laugh," Shaunie says. "And he's just really sweet."
Shaq and Shaunie

 
Shaunie says that soon after she and Shaq met, he invited her to have lunch at his house and took her on a very memorable tour. She was shocked to see he'd decorated his bachelor pad with pictures of himself "all over the place"...but the biggest surprise came in the bedroom.

The room had a disco ball, smoke machine and computerized light show. When Shaq typed in "Shaunie," her name flashed across the walls. "Which was supposed to impress me!" she says. "Yuck!"

It wasn't game over for Shaq. He and Shaunie, married since 2002, are now celebrating the birth of their fourth child together—a beautiful baby girl named Me'arah Sanaa.
Gayle at Wimp's in Harlem

 
As editor at large of O, The Oprah Magazine, Gayle spends enough time working in New York City to be well acquainted with the town's tastiest sweet spots. There's one legendary place she hasn't tried...until now. Wimp's, located in Harlem, offers cakes "like your grandma used to make."

All the cakes follow the same recipes handed down by Wimp's own grandmother, says his wife, Donna. Wimp creates his sweet confections with the baking basics: real butter, lots of sugar, flour, buttermilk and all the fixins—coconut, pecans and chocolate. "It's not the best for the waistline," Donna says, "but they're definitely wholesome."

Gayle's next delicious delivery is to none other than "The Donald," Melania and baby Barron. Will this cake trump the others?
Gayle with Donald and Melania Trump

 
Wimp's whips up a chocolate cake with chocolate icing for Donald and Melania Trump. The bakery even adds a special birthday message for Melania, who's celebrating a birthday and the birth of her first child, Barron William Trump.

How did the Trumps come up with such a unique name? Donald says he suggested a name that he's always loved, but "never had the courage to use." Melania began calling the baby "Barron" while he was still in the womb, and it stuck!

Donald says it's terrific having a baby in the house again and that his wife is a fantastic mother, while Melania reveals a softer side of "The Donald."

"He's amazing with the baby," she says. "He takes him in the morning when he wakes up. He brings him in his room, and they are watching TV together and reading the papers."
Donald with his son Barron William Trump

 
At just five weeks old, Barron is ready for his close-up! Melania and Donald introduce Gayle to their latest addition...who's still a little groggy from his nap.

"I love the noise he makes. I love the smell," Gayle says as she holds Barron. "I want one, Oprah!"

Like the rest of the Trump home, Barron's nursery is warm and inviting. The room is filled with plush teddy bears and stuffed animals—including a giant stuffed frog from Gayle!
Gayle and Frances

 
Gayle's cake quest takes her from New York City to Nashville, Oprah's hometown! She heads straight to Tennessee T-Cakes, a sweet shop known for their "ultimate Southern confections."

Inside the shop, bakers serve up bite-sized cakes in four flavors— original, chocolate truffle, luscious lemon and key lime. Each batch is baked for exactly 14 minutes, and then the cakes are finished off with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Owner Frances Barkley reveals the secret ingredients that make her T-Cakes so special—flour, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. "What's so unusual about that?" Gayle asks.

"It's the portions and the brands of things that I use. That makes a big difference," Frances says. "Everything is top of the line in this T-Cake."
Gayle with Vernon Winfrey

 
Tennessee T-Cakes may have brought Gayle to Nashville, but while she's in the neighborhood, she makes a surprise stop at Vernon Winfrey's barbershop to share these sweet treats with Oprah's dad.

The small shop is crowded with customers, who munch on T-Cakes while waiting for their turn in the barber chair. Vernon, who's hard at work cutting hair, says he told his daughter that he might retire when he turned 70, "but 70 came too soon," he says. "When I get to where I can't make folks look any better, I'll go home."
Oprah's childhood closet

 
Gayle's next stop in Nashville is Oprah's childhood home! When she arrives at the modest, two-bedroom brick home—with a tray of T-Cakes in hand—Gayle learns that someone is sleeping in Oprah's old bedroom. After a surprising wake-up call, Gayle gets a look inside the room where Oprah slept as a child. "I wonder how she had it arranged back when," Gayle says.

Gayle takes a peek inside Oprah's childhood closet before saying goodbye to the current residents and wrapping up her Nashville "cakewalk."
Doughboys red velvet cake

 
Gayle has a sweet treat for Oprah and the entire audience—red velvet cake from Doughboys Bakery in Los Angeles! Oprah says the first time Gayle tried Doughboys' creamy frosting and moist cake, she sent her an e-mail that said, "Lord have mercy!"

"Most [bakeries] get it wrong," Gayle says. "Either it's too dry or the color isn't right, but this, I thought, was really perfection."

Oprah may not be as fond of sweets as Gayle, but even she thinks Doughboys' specialty is "exceptional"...especially with a cold glass of milk.

Which cake does Gayle rate number one? She says they were all delicious...but if she had to pick, she'd go with Wimp's Caramel Coconut Cake.
Rachael Ray's chocolate cups

 
Queen of quick Rachael Ray is known for her 30-minute meals, but her Chocolate Cups dessert is beyond fast! Rachael's take on pots de crème—one of her mother's recipes and a personal favorite of Rachael's—is a five-minute, no-fuss dessert. "It's a knockout," she says.

"Fantastic!" Oprah says.
Rachael Ray's best last-minute gift

 
Simple recipes make great eats and great gifts! Rachael says she likes to transform her favorite recipes into last-minute gifts that are perfect for every occasion.

First, Rachael says to choose a super simple recipe from your collection, and print out the instructions on a recipe card. Then, head to the grocery store and stock up on all the ingredients you need to make the dish. Package all the ingredients in a gift bag or reusable grocery sack, throw in an affordable bottle of wine and your present is complete!

Rachael's go-to gift can also be adapted to suit any budget and recipient. "You can take it to any level," she says. "You can get, you know, really pricey with the bottle of wine. You can even adapt it for children. Buy a nice children's cookbook and put all the ingredients for one recipe in there. ... It works for literally every occasion."
Angie Harmon

 
Gayle and Rachael shared some of their favorites—so we caught up with actress Angie Harmon who shared some of hers! She says her favorite place on the planet is her hometown of Dallas, Texas. Angie and her husband, former NFL star Jason Sehorn, and their daughters, Finley and Avery, enjoy visiting the Dallas World Aquarium. "We come here every chance that we get!" she says. When the couple needs a quiet evening out, they leave the girls with family and head to their favorite restaurant, Al Biernat's. Angie loves the juicy 48-ounce prime rib!