After a tumultuous 2016 and a 2017 that oftentimes feels like we've all collectively tumbled into an alternate universe, it's understandable that some of us may want to eat our feelings. (Seriously, guys, post-election stress is no joke.) But re: eating those feelings, it turns out you can literally have that cake and eat it, too, thanks to the new Protest Cakes Instagram. The brainchild of Tess Wilson and Leah Rosenberg, the Instagram is churning out cakes with powerful messages speaking out against Trump's legislation almost as fast as the news is breaking — and given all that has happened the first few weeks of his presidency, I imagine they have plenty of baked creations on hand.
So what inspired this glorious combination of resistance and dessert? "[W]e were signing petitions, marching in protests, and calling our reps every day, and we wanted to do something more, something that felt uniquely us, something that might bring someone joy," Wilson and Rosenberg wrote to Bustle. "We baked together for years at the SFMOMA Blue Bottle Coffee and worked on the Modern Art Desserts project (with our friend/mentor/boss, author Caitlin Freeman), so cake-based activism seemed like the perfect fit!"
In times like these, it's more important than ever to find ways to spread the message — and given the state of things, when we are all looking for the strength to power through the next four years of resistance, it's a relief to have an empowering reminder of the work ahead as adorable as this one. Here are a few of the cakes they've rolled out so far:
Trans Rights Cake
"Trans Rights Cake, to be thrown in the face of anyone who would make life more difficult for trans kids," the caption reads. "Sprinkled with disco dust & adorned with chocolate coins, in honor of the coins thrown during the Stonewall Riots."
On Wednesday, Trump and his administration rescinded a bathroom bill passed in 2016 that protected transgender youth by mandating that schools in the U.S. provide them with access gender-appropriate restrooms — a move that puts trans kids at serious risk. To learn more about how to fight this legislation, check out Bustle's article here.
I'm Peach Mint Cake
An unexpectedly yummy combo of flavors contributes to this clever cake: "I'm Peach Mint Cake, with peach jam and mint buttercream, topped with marzipan peaches with fresh mint leaves," reads the caption.
Worth noting: Allan Lichtman, a professor at American University who has accurately predicted every presidential election since 1984, believes that Donald Trump will be impeached. He's even writing a book about it how he predicts it will happen, with a set release date for April 18. Even if it just turns out to be the election fan fiction we all need to get us through the next four years, I'm guessing it would go down nicely with a cake like this on the side.
Seven Nations Cake
This cake's stand for unity in the face of Trump's legislation imposing a travel restriction from seven majority Muslim countries isn't just powerful for what it says, but for what it's made of: the cake incorporates ingredients from every one of the countries Trump's legislation targeted. In other words, this is a cake that delivers a powerful political punch. To find out more ways to help protest Trump's legislation regarding the travel ban and refugees, find out how to get in touch with your representatives here.
For more ways to protest civilly and deliciously, follow Rosenberg and Wilson's Protest Cakes Instagram account here!
