11 recipes to bake for Pride this year
Bakes for gathering with friends, sharing with partners, and more.
Pride is a month of celebration, and for bakers, that means hitting the kitchen. We’ve asked employee-owners and friends of King Arthur for the recipes they recommend making this Pride month, including show-stopping cakes, joyful whoopie pies, and nostalgic butter cake bars.
1) Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries
Ben Rapson, Social Media Marketing Manager: This is my go-to birthday cake for any chocolate lovers in my life. Pride month, of course, is all about community, and I’ve found the best way to foster moments of connection with my friends — including my queer and trans friends — is by gathering around a show-stopping cake, especially if it’s homemade with love.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries
2) Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
David Tamarkin, Editorial Director: I’ll never have the patience to make a rainbow cake, but I’ll throw sprinkles on anything I can. And during Pride, I really let the sprinkles fly, because it’s a month of leaning into the pure joy of being queer — and what symbolizes unadulterated joy better than colorful sprinkles? I especially love the way they pop on these nostalgic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
3) Gooey Vanilla Butter Cake Bars
Frank Tegethoff, Research and Development Specialist: Having grown up in St. Louis, I love Molly Marzalek-Kelly’s re-invention of a childhood favorite. These bars are portable, finger-friendly, and perfect at any meal: breakfast, brunch, lunch, after-parade snack, evening BBQ, or movie night treat.
Get the recipe: Gooey Vanilla Butter Cake Bars
4) Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Jordan Kilby, Director of Digital Marketing and Customer Data: Who doesn’t love a good whoopie pie? Growing up in New England, these were a staple. They are quick, easy, and really just a joy to eat, which helps me embrace what this month is all about.
Get the recipe: Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies
5) Golden Vanilla Cake with Italian Buttercream
Martina Fleurrey, Customer Support Team Lead: As an ally and the resident cake baker for all my friends and family, I love the versatility and simplicity of a delicious vanilla cake. The Golden Vanilla Cake has long been a staple in my house and takes on colors well. In the past, I’ve added food coloring to the cake batter to make rainbow layers. This adds a pop of color under a beautiful silky-smooth batch of Italian Buttercream. Adorn with some fancy sprinkles and you will have a showstopper for sure.
Get the recipes: Golden Vanilla Cake and Italian Buttercream
6) Scallion Buns
Frankie Gaw, contributor and cookbook author: As a kid, I stuffed my face with my grandma’s pillowy steamed scallion buns in the comfort of our Midwestern kitchen, but never anywhere else. It was the kind of dish that felt “foreign” and therefore not worthy in the presence of my friends or in the context of what I saw as American food. Cooking these scallion buns proudly is an acknowledgment of all the parts of my identity that I’ve kept hidden in the past. From being Asian to being proudly queer, loving my food has been the bridge that allowed me to love myself.
Get the recipe: Scallion Buns
7) Tomato Pie with Parmesan and Basil
Jessica Battilana, Staff Editor: Generosity is on my mind every Pride month — specifically, generosity of spirit. When we actively work to know, understand, and relate to people whose lived experiences are different from our own, generosity of spirit becomes an almost radical act, one that allows us to make room at the table for everyone. And on my table this summer will be Tomato Pie. Here, a rainbow assortment of tomatoes is showcased in a savory pie with a custard that includes mayonnaise, buttermilk, and Parmesan cheese.
Get the recipe: Tomato Pie with Parmesan and Basil
8) Fudge Brownies
Molly Lawrence, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager: My fiancée, Jackie, and I love to bake King Arthur's Fudge Brownies because it's like spreading happiness with every bite! We get to mix a little love, a sprinkle of laughter, and lots of chocolate into a treat that brings smiles to our friends and families' faces. It’s our sweet way of saying we care — plus, who can resist a nice warm brownie? Each batch is a little celebration of togetherness and joy, wrapped up in chocolatey goodness.
Get the recipe: Fudge Brownies
9) Earl Grey Cake with Fresh Raspberry Whipped Cream
Nima Etemadi, contributor and co-founder of Cake Life Bake Shop: Baking naturally overlaps with the queer experience; it is an authentic, creative expression with the power to build and heal our community. When we bake, we share our knowledge, joy, and history; our hands and hearts mix ingredients and inspirations to express our lives, stories, and ancestries. Baking creates a special and unique space for queer expression, one that is informed by infinite layers of hardships, triumphs, pain, love, and pride. When we bake, we invite our community to the table to share, taste, and heal — with cake.
Get the recipe: Earl Grey Cake with Fresh Raspberry Whipped Cream
10) Berry Mirror Glazed Cake
A., Social Media Strategist: This is my first year celebrating Pride as an LGBTQ member rather than an ally. 'Tis the season for fresh berries, and I can't think of a better (or tastier) flavor profile to honor the pink, purple, and blue of the Bi flag.
Get the recipe: Earl Grey Cake with Fresh Raspberry Whipped Cream
11) Italian Rainbow Cookies
Rossi Anastopoulo, Content Editor: I live in West Hollywood, California, where Pride is a very big deal — in fact, it's a city-wide holiday full of concerts, art shows, and of course, a giant parade. This year, I'll be showing up to support as an ally and bringing a batch of Italian Rainbow Cookies for friends to snack on. A little on the nose? Sure, but Pride isn't a time for subtlety!
Get the recipe: Italian Rainbow Cookies
See more recipes for this month in our collection of summer cookout recipes.
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
Editor's note: This post was updated in May 2024.
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