Edina teen bakes to support LGBTQ youth

EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) - For a couple of hours a day, you'll find Lily Ahluwalia baking in the kitchen.

But she isn't just coming up with popular pastries for fun, she's cooking for a cause.

"I love baking and I could combine two things I love together," said Ahluwalia.

She started her own bakery, called It Gets Batter, to raise some dough for LGBTQ youth who are estranged from their families. She says the name comes from the It Gets Better Project, an organization that works with LGBTQ youth.

"I knew about It Gets Better and I thought it would be a cool play on words," said Ahluwalia.

She got the idea while watching RuPaul's Drag Race and hearing some contestants' stories about how they had to leave home after they came out.

"I'm very close to my parents and I was like, why would kids parents kick them out of their homes just because of who they are?" said Ahluwalia.

She sells everything from chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes to upside-down pineapple cakes through her website to help gay teens navigate an experience that can be bittersweet.

"I just hate to have my friends experience any kind of pain or family members and it makes me sad,” she said. “If I can help other people not have to experience the same thing. That would be a positive thing."

At 14 years old, Ahluwalia may seem young to try to bake the world a better place, but she hopes her business inspires other teens to step up to the plate.

“I hope I can make a difference and change people's lives for the better," she said.

So far she's made about $400 and she's already donated $300 to OutFront Minnesota.

Ahluwalia says Dan Savage, who founded It Gets Better heard about her bakery and wants to buy some of her goodies as long as she can ship them out of state.