Grace Pak: The Mission to Create America’s 250th Birthday Cake

Grace Pak, a talented cake artist based in New York City, embarked on a unique mission to create an official cake for America’s 250th birthday. This decision came after realizing that the semiquincentennial celebrations lacked any plans for an official cake.

Working late into the night, Grace Pak focused on intricate details such as creating Lady Liberty’s torch. Her journey began back in January when she posed a simple question to the congressional commission handling the planning of the nation’s milestone birthday celebration: Was anyone making a cake?

The answer came as a surprise—it was a resounding no. Grace Pak pondered, “How could we not have a cake for a birthday?” This propelled her into an ambitious project to design America’s birthday cake. The result was a sculpted work of art the size of a Mini Cooper, featuring chocolate Black Hawk helicopters, a Rice Krispies Treats version of Lady Liberty’s arm, and more.

Grace Pak’s cake is not merely a celebratory dessert. It is a symbol of unity in a time of political division. As she put it, “It’s the 250th, and I feel like so many people are not excited. People aren’t excited because of the political landscape. But cake is the answer. Bring cake and everyone’s in.”

If she overcomes the final hurdles, her masterpiece will be showcased at a ceremony in the Library of Congress.

Ms. Pak sketched her original idea for America’s birthday cake, but changed the design as she went. Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times