I try to stay away from controversy on my little baking blog.
I have a philosophy… it’s silly I know. But I believe that we can all unite over cake. No matter your beliefs or views or politics, we can all come together and celebrate with a beautiful and delicious cake.
When I heard that there was a controversy over a Cheerios commercial, I was deeply saddened.
After seeing the commercial, I literally had no idea what the controversy even was! In case you are as blissfully naive as I am, the issue was race.
Some people were upset that the husband was black and the wife was white and that they had an interracial child.
Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
I don’t want to be a part of the appalling silence anymore.
After reading some of the awful comments people have made, it’s clear to see that their minds are not going to be changed through some brief internet interactions. I am never going to argue someone into seeing my perspective.
Instead, what I do want to focus on is solutions.
This cake is simple. Overly simple some might say, but that was intentional.
I feel like the solution is simple.
Teach love.
I can certainly make sure that I am raising intelligent, well-mannered and considerate young people who understand that our inherent value is not based on appearance.
Simple.
I can model the behavior that I want to see in them. I hope that my children will see in me a love for others, regardless of physical appearance. I hope that they will remain blissfully ignorant of the pain and destruction caused by prejudice and racism for many, many more years.
Maybe we can all make a simple cake for someone you love!
Now. Do you want to know how I really feel about segregation?
Ahem.
Just in case you want to make your own Cheerios Cake here is what I did:
Make the perfect white cake in two 8-in rounds and the best chocolate cake in two 8-in rounds.
I then whipped up a batch of chocolate buttercream to cover the cake. There is no frosting between the layers.
Using Chocolate Cheerios, I spelled out the word “love”. For the individual slice, I just poured some more Chocolate Cheerios over the top to add some texture and depth of flavor.
Wonderful. Perfectly worded. Great cake! I have 5 kids they don’t see race or even class. Everyone is just a potential friend. We have a heart and ministry for underprividled children and my children don’t understand why these children are different in my view. “They are kids mom!” That’s it. I’ve learned so much seeing people through my children’s eyes. Bless you.
Perfect response. And what a beautiful commercial and cake to compliment it. And that means the cake is heart healthy for many reasons too, right??!
What a great cake! It’s sad that there’s so much controversy over ‘silly’ issues like ‘color’ or ‘race’. Why can’t everyone be friends?? I am very thankful that my kids see past all that…my sons’ best friends are from different areas of the world..Sigh! It’s sad…but that is a great cake!
I, too, was surprised by the controversy over this commercial in 2013. My parents taught me early on that racism is unacceptable. And they proved it when they welcomed my first boyfriend (who happened to be biracial) into our lives. This post was lovely, and your cake looks delicious!
Great post, well said… I too found it sad that people were offended by a family commercial about Cheerios! I love Cheerios!
This is beautiful. I agree with you 100%. I love how you used something as simple and delicious as a cake to show love for everyone no matter their race. I love the quotes and I love your writing. Bravo!
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE!!!! How this is even a controversy in this day and age I will never understand. Kudos to you for standing up for what is RIGHT!
Brilliant piece! I stand with you in that all men are created equal! Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight!
Love this! Thank you.
Thank you for this wonderful post. Love the cake. Love the idea. Beautifully said. xoxo.