Whether you’ve been following her career for years or you’ve just started following on social media for the food pics, it doesn’t take long to realize Julie Van Rosendaal has a penchant for repurposing malicious messaging into something much more meaningful.
One of the most recent metamorphosis happened during the pandemic when Van Rosendaal came under fire from self-proclaimed freedom fighters for speaking out in support of first responders. After finding inspiration in a post from fellow bestselling author Kate Baer, Van Rosendaal decided to turn the hateful messages into blackout poetry. Among those that she posted online, one simple, yet powerful sentence stood out: You Are Human and You Need Cake.
Not unlike the two that came before it, You Are Human and You Need Cake is a single-subject book dedicated to all things cake. The cookbook features 36 of Van Rosendaal’s favourite cake recipes, from classic chocolate cake and coffee cake to fruit cake, gingerbread cake, Nanaimo bar cake (embedded above), and more.
Also like its predecessors, Van Rosendaal is using the book release as an opportunity to support local businesses by making You Are Human and You Need Cake only available to purchase through her website—with the option to add a signature and personlized message at no extra cost—and at independent bookstores across the country.
