Simply Sweet | Spring 2023

Dewy mornings, birds singing, flowers blooming. As the snow melts away and the sun comes back out, we all start to feel a spring in our step.

Picnics, tea parties, and impromptu brunch plans. These are the moments we wait for all winter long. Slowly, the world awakens and we find ourselves re-energized and ready to embark on new adventures. Spring is the perfect time to try new things, whether that’s experimenting with new recipes or trying new hobbies.

For us, Spring means bringing together fresh flavoursTart & Sweet, Zesty & Herbal. From recipes made with delicious fruits, to new floral cake designs, there are so many reasons to celebrate Spring, and we’ve got a bakery full of them.

Keep reading to find tips and tricks for a sweet brunch set-up, steps for the perfect tea party, and how Crave can be part of your Mother’s Day celebrations.

HOW CRAVE CAN BE PART OF Your Mother's Day

Thinking about hosting a Mother’s Day brunch?

From cakes, to cupcakes - even cookies, our Mother’s Day Menu includes everything you need to create a beautiful tablescape. Keep reading to see our favourites!

Our Favourites

Strawberry Cheesecake

Graham cracker crust and strawberry vanilla cake decorated with strawberry cream cheese buttercream, sprinkled with graham crumb.

Lemon Poppyseed Loaf

Topped with a fresh lemon glaze, this delicious loaf is the perfect pairing for your afternoon coffee break.

Cookies

A mix of our cookie flavours! Each of our cookies is handmade and baked fresh.

Mother's Day Specialty Pack

Featuring Strawberry Cheesecake, Earl Grey and three specialty cupcakes.

How to Celebrate Mother's Day

We’ve rounded up our favourite Mother’s Day activities in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon - check them out below!

Edmonton

For an experience gift, try booking Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald!

Try some of our favourite restaurants on Whyte Avenue! The Next Act, Ampersand27, and Under the High Wheel.

Nothing says Mother’s Day like quality time spent with the family. We suggest a cute coffee date at Brew and Bloom (check out all the beautiful local goodies in their retail space), or a trip to the Alberta Art Gallery.

Looking for the perfect Mother’s Day bouquet? Try Swish and Company or Maven and Grace.

Saskatoon

Take a stroll down Broadway Ave and pop into Bill’s House of Flowers for a bouquet and Junior’s Cafe for a caffeine fueled treat.

Check our Berry Barn for the cutest brunch setup or a Saskatoon fave Hearth Restaurant

Calgary

There’s nothing quite like spending a Spring day outdoors! We recommend stopping by the River Café or Alforno and going for a stroll along the Bow River.

Amborella Floral is perfect for a bouquet of seasonal blooms that any mom is sure to love! Also check out Kensington Florist, located down the street from our flagship bakery.

Have you met Helen? Have you met Helen?

Mother of our Co-founders, Jodi and Carolyne, talented baker, and line-dancer extraordinaire.

On their family farm in High River, Helen spent many days baking in the kitchen with her daughters. Carolyne recalls “I can still remember the stool that she had me sit down on and make my first batch of shortbread ever. I have just always, always loved to bake since I was a little girl - and I still bake today.”

Not only did Helen teach Jodi and Carolyne how to bake, but she also passed down values of quality, honesty and integrity. These same values are now a core part of Crave, and the reasons we still crack each egg, measure and decorate by hand.

Crave’s chocolate cake is the same recipe Carolyne and Jodi’s Grandma used to make and our bakers also still use Helen’s secret to irresistible buttercream. “Even when we’re creating a new product, we tend to always go back to family recipes.”

- Carolyne, Crave Co-Founder.

From being seven years old, baking with their mom in the kitchen, to sharing delicious baking with customers, togetherness has always been at the heart of Crave. Find a moment for togetherness this Mother’s Day - whether that’s baking in the kitchen, brunch plans, or simply spending quality time!

"I can still remember the stool that she had me sit down on and make my first batch of shortbread ever."

- Carolyne, Crave Co-Founder

From the left: Crave Co-Founders Carolyne & Jodi, mom Helen, sister Antoinette

The Perfect Tea Party

We’re ready to celebrate Spring, so pull out the good plates and follow our steps below to host the prefect tea party!

Step 1 | Guest List

Are you inviting friends, neighbours, coworkers, or all of the above? Make a list and check it twice! If you’re feeling extra fancy, we love a homemade invitation or even an e-vite.

Step 2 | Location

If the weather is looking like clear skies above, take your tea party outside! Enjoy the warmth and fresh Spring air with a backyard tablescape, or pick your favourite park and set up there!

If you need some indoor suggestions - try making your kitchen table feel extra special with a new tablecloth or some colourful glassware.

Step 3 | Menu

When we think “tea party”, we think of finger sandwiches, warm cups of tea and most importantly, sweet treats. If you’re looking for the perfect cupcakes to pair with your tea, try our May Mini Cupcake Pack, or choose all your favourites. To make things extra special, you can even create menu cards for each place-setting, complete with all the tea flavours, sandwiches, and Crave treats you’ll be serving up!

Step 4 | Details

It’s time for finishing touches! Make your tea party your own with the little details like …

Name Cards: creating the perfect place setting complete with the name of each guest is a great way to give your party a personal touch.

Conversation starters: Inviting guests that may not know each other? Planning games or having question cards can be a great way to break the ice.

Dress-code: Whether you’re dressing up or dressing down, setting a dress-code can be a fun way to make a Springtime tea party feel extra special.

Earl Grey Tea Cupcake

Available May 1 to 13

Meet Sarah

Mom of two, Texan at heart and Vegan cupcake lover.

Sarah’s family is spread out across the globe. She moved from the US to Canada, her parents still live in the US and her sister lives in Spain. Sarah explains because they live in different countries, “sending one another sweet treats while we’re far away from each other is our way of staying connected and being part of each other’s celebrations.” Sarah’s family has continued a tradition for over four years of sending her cupcakes from Crave. “My family sends me Crave Cupcakes for every occasion. It’s one of the easiest, most delicious and thoughtful gifts to order locally or from afar.” We are so grateful to be part of how Sarah’s family stays in touch with one another!

Sarah and her husband Jeremie settled into parenthood when they had Peyton (3 years old) and Jackson (1 year old). Sarah became a big fan of our Vegan Cupcake when she discovered her daughter Peyton had a dairy allergy. “They’re the only cupcakes we could eat when we had to cut dairy!”

Sarah brought her mother-in-law - who is also a long-time Crave lover - to the photoshoot along with her children, Peyton and Jackson. Originally, Sarah had planned to take photos with just the kids, but we couldn’t possibly say no to making beautiful memories with the whole family! We had an amazing time watching each of them dance, and were overjoyed to witness a very special moment - Jackson trying his very first Crave cupcake. From grandmother, to mother, to children - it was heartwarming to see the way Crave has touched multiple generations of Sarah’s family.

We’re sending a very Happy Mother’s Day to Sarah, Yvonne - affectionately referred to as Peyton and Jackson’s Grandmama, and all the other mothers and grandmothers who make every moment sweeter.

"Sending one another sweet treats while we’re far away from each other is our way of staying connected and being part of each other’s celebrations."

Crave Brand Story

This was a longshot valentine, a work anniversary, one day late. This was a first-place dance recital, and a double-overtime loss. This was her 99th birthday, and her 100th. This showed up after we closed the deal. This was a wedding where it rained and rained. This was a sweet treat to brighten your day. And this was just because sometimes it’s important to simply treat yourself. For these, and countless other reasons, we bake with love together.

we bake togetherness