Cake Zine 7
Delivered to Stack subscribers in
Oct 2025
A literary magazine that builds each issue around a different type of food, the seventh instalment of Cake Zine is themed ‘Forbidden Fruit’. From sweet childhood nostalgia to the addictive tang of mango Juul pods, it carries readers off with its stories of fruity temptation.
Name
Aliza Abarbanel
Job title
Co-founder/co-editor of Cake Zine
What is Cake Zine?
Cake Zine is a biannual literary print magazine exploring society through sweets. Based between Brooklyn and Paris, we bring a diverse array of writers, artists, cooks, and designers into broad conversations around narrow culinary themes by publishing pieces that wouldn’t be typically found in mainstream food publications. Over seven issues, we have remained committed to publishing work by both established and emerging artists. Our newest issue, Forbidden Fruit, explores how fruit fuels temptation and transgression. Next spring, we’re departing from dessert by releasing a “medium-rare” special issue examining red meat’s cultural impact: Steak Zine.
Who makes it?
Cake Zine is made by co-editors Aliza Abarbanel and Tanya Bush with art director/designer Noah Emrich. Our core edit team consists of Amber Lee, Jesse Sparks, Amanda Shapiro, Nicolaia Rips, Forsyth Harmon, Sahir Ahmed, Alexis Nowicki, Adrienne Murr, and Sanaë Lemoine. Each issue is created with about 50 written and visuals contributors from around the world.
Who reads it?
Cake Zine draws readers who view food as a dynamic part of culture — just like fashion, music, film, and art. Come for the niche theme, stay for the many subversions of subject and form, from poetry and fiction to reported essays and recipes.
Why do you work in magazines?
We view magazines as a social object. We’re drawn to collaboration with creatives across fields, from chefs and artists to writers and designers, and we wanted to make a platform for cross-disciplinary exploration. We also just love the pleasure of sitting down with a beautiful physical object and entering another world, at least for a few pages.
Aside from the print magazine, what else do you do?
Cake Zine has a robust roster of events bringing the magazine to life, both in our home base of New York City and around the world. Our most recent NYC launch party for Forbidden Fruit featured over 400 attendees feasting on a giant 10-foot pie, listening to readings from the issue, buying magazines, and dancing on the roof — followed by a pop-up dinner with chef Yara Herrera at Hellbender. We also run an active Substack and Instagram account.
What would you change about Cake Zine if you could?
More resources to make more cool things! You can support us by following us online, subscribing to our newsletter, attending our events, and most of all, buying our magazines.
Where do you see Cake Zine in five years?
In a magazine store near you, and also, doing something completely new. A dessert/natural wine bar with a magazine shop attached? Hit us up if you want to make it happen…
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