Southern Nostalgia
Made Sweeter at the Baked Lotus
NOTABLES EDITOR: Anna El-Eini
In Bowie, Maryland, Chef Chanel “Lotus” Horn is baking memory into every bite of her tasty desserts. At The Baked Lotus Cake House, her from-scratch Southern confections, like Lotus Luxe deep-dish cookies stuffed with cookie butter, red velvet cheesecake “Cake in a Can,” and chocolate and sea salt honeycomb candy made with local honey from Château Coco, have attracted an ardent following.
A fourth-generation cook, Horn draws on a rich family legacy that began with her great-grandfather, one of the first Black male chefs in the South. Her desserts are both tribute and innovation: layered, soulful, and unabashedly indulgent.
What started as a home bakery inspired by her grandmother’s kitchen has become a cult favorite among dessert lovers who crave something heartfelt and handcrafted. As Horn puts it, “Every recipe tells a story, and mine always start with love.”
Find Chef Lotus’s standout desserts at farmers’ markets in College Park and at Union Market.
