Cake Zine is an independent print magazine that explores society through sweets. They’re seeking pitches for their next issue, Ice Cream Time, which will explore the relationship between ice cream and time:

“As the name suggests our summer issue, Ice Cream Time, will explore the relationship between ice cream and time. Ice cream is ephemeral. Your only responsibility is to eat it before it melts.

We’re interested in stories that use frozen dessert to think about time: the historical, the futuristic, the seasonal, and the ephemeral. Nostalgia is fair game but don’t give us anything saccharine. Think: A review of the ice cream counter at Berghain after 12 hours of dancing, an oral history of the violent NYC soft serve truck turf wars, a whirlwind tour of discontinued ice creams (looking at you Choco Taco). Delve into the tools and technology that are reshaping the industry to predict what we’ll be tasting in 2050. Ask a flavor scientist: Why does melted ice cream never become ice cream again?”

They pay $175 to $225 for shorter pieces (350 words or less), poems, and recipes; $250 for mid-length pieces (500 to 1,000 words); $350 for longform pieces (around 2,000 words); and $250 for visual art. Details here and here.

Deadline: September 25th, 2026