Humble Pie
Cake Friends,
Today we launched pre-orders for a new issue of Cake Zine—but there is no genoise or buttercream in these pages. Our humble apologies for any confusion. Allow us to explain. Yes, we all love cake. But the outrageous fame and fortune of running a small independent dessert-focused magazine was getting to our heads. So for Volume Three, we ditched the opulent cakes of yore for a much needed serving of humble pie.
Before you dig in, a clarification. “Humble,” we'd argue, is one of the most misused terms in public discourse today. Celebrities often proclaim how humbled they are by their successes, like a protective incantation against accusations of haughtiness and potential humiliation. It’s a well-worn path for navigating the minefield of public opinion. But let’s not fool ourselves: Humility is embodied, not broadcasted.
The third volume of Cake Zine refracts the idiom “eating humble pie” into wider and weirder territories. Humble is a face full of cream in front of a gaggle of bikini-clad suitors (and potential sponsorship deals) on Love Island, cross-testing a recipe before publication only to find that nothing works, a $3.75 deep-fried pie served on the side of the I-35 that tastes more like belonging than steak au poivre ever will.
We invite you to linger in embarrassment and get comfortable with discomfort. Ease the sting of humiliation with recipes for pies that are humble in their ingredients, scales, or origins, including a centerfold that riffs on the tradition of “Desperation Pies” popularized in moments of scarcity—especially timely for this era of ingredient shortages. Find inspiration in a DIY venue keeping the doors open despite rampant gentrification by selling pies to punks. Consider the significance of a single, oil-slicked New York City dollar slice. Is pizza a pie, you might be asking? To us, most anything can be considered a pie with enough hubris—and we’re ready to serve up a hearty helping.
Pre-orders for Humble Pie will ship in early July. Watch this space for more announcements on parties, merch, collabs and more. We’ve been baking up some special things for you.
Always save room for dessert,
Aliza Abarbanel, Tanya Bush, and Noah Emrich
So excited to dig my teeth into it!