Pride Unprejudiced: Rainbow cake is sweet essence thereof

Until today, the cutest thing I had ever baked was a mélange of Friday the 13th-themed cupcakes, half of which were decorated like hockey masks. The other half were bleeding edible gel from stab wounds made by these adorable, little sugar knives I found on the discount shelf at Michael's after all the Halloween stuff went on sale to make room for Thanksgiving.

Which, if you’re at all familiar with Michael's, was probably in September.

Now, of course, it is June. Pride Month. And when you want to show pride, you need more than just red.

Tasting Pride in Orlando: Hue can't beat these colorful treats!

I found this Rainbow Bundt Cake amid a bunch of Pride-related recipes on FoodNetwork.com, where it was still pretty new, but already well-reviewed. I’m telling you this because in the interest of being wholly out about things (Yay, Pride!) I didn't actually make the cake recipe.

I Sandra Lee’d that shizz.

To be fair to the glamorous Food Network chef, whose Halloween episodes and costumes were glorious back in the day, I didn't even semi-homemake it. Unless you count dyeing the coconut flakes, which some people might. (I don't.)

What I did do, however, was actually build and decorate this thing, which was so much easier than it looked and really, if you’re having a soiree, you already have so much to do on top of real life. I think it's fine if you want to grab a boxed cake mix and get artsy-craftsy without adding more to your Pride pile.

Same goes if you’re bringing dessert to someone else's party. It's the thought that counts. And cake this cute counts doubly.

I used basic yellow cake, but you could choose any flavor you like. If you go with a white frosting, however, be really good about slathering it on for opacity over a darker cake, such as chocolate. It's nigh impossible to get 100 percent coverage with your coconut once you start laying down the stripes.

And speaking of, turning that sugary coconut technicolor is a lot of fun. Shades of egg-dyeing at Easter, but instead of dripping all over the counter you’re going to end up having to sweep the floor.

Tip: Don't leave it out to dry longer than the recommended hour, or it will lose the nice moisture that gives flaked coconut the texture that those who love it enjoy. Suggestion: Adding a little coconut cream to the frosting (remember to shake it!) would be a nice flavor boost.

As far as looks, this cake will serve as the grand marshal of your Pride Party's parade-like table, a sweet centerpiece that everyone can get a piece of. Plus, there's a ton of room for your own creative adds.

Edible glitter. Fondant unicorns. Themed decorations — like cake-topping Pride flags or candy rainbows you might find on the baking-related racks at Michael's.

Unless, of course, they went on sale in May.

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Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen (foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/rainbow-bundt-cake-46140980)

Ingredients

Directions

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

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