Simply Sweet | Fall 2023

Falling into

Misty mornings, crisp air, Leaves changing to hues of gold. As the days grow shorter and the sweaters come out of hiding, we can’t help but welcome the beginnings of a new season. Harvest feasts, bonfires, and cozy gatherings. These are the moments that warm us throughout the cooling months. Fall is a time for apple picking, evenings by the fireplace, and the comforting scent of pumpkin spice. For us, autumn is full of rich flavorsspiced & savory, earthy & nutty.

Whether you’re trying your hand at baking yourself or relying on our tried and true family classics - there are so many reasons to celebrate Fall, and we’ve got a bakery full of them.

A slice of tradition.

Keep reading to find our tips for packing back-to-school lunches with Crave Bake at Home, reflection on our 19th birthday, and how Crave can be a part of your Thanksgiving festivities.

CRAVE TURNS 19! CRAVE TURNS 19!

On September 7th we blew out the candles on our 19th birthday cake and let us tell you, the excitement was real!

From growing up on their family farm, to building a businesstogetherness has been at the heart of everything Co-Founders, Carolyne and Jodi dreamt of for Crave.

We want to thank our customers again for their support and for baking togetherness with Crave! We exist to help people connect and these are the moments that remind us that each batch, each bite, is special, full of beautiful memories.

We were blown away by the response to our Great Crave Birthday Giveaway, thank you to everyone who entered! Keep an eye out to see if you are one of the winners.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SNACKS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DELICIOUS!

The school bell's ringing again, and we've got the ultimate snack lineup you can bake in your very own kitchen! Did you know all of our Crave Bake at Home products are made in a peanut-free facility? Go on - be the lunchbox hero with these hassle-free snacks that are as safe as they are delicious.

LOAF PAN CAKES

One of our staff’s favourite ways to use our Crave Bake at Home cake mix is to turn it into a loaf! Instead of using a regular cake pan, try baking your cake mix in a loaf pan. Loaves can even be pre-portioned in to slices and frozen to make lunch packing a breeze.

VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP LOAF PAN CAKE

1. Follow the instructions on our Crave Bake at Home vanilla cake mix.

2. Fold in chocolate chips to the vanilla cake batter. We used about 4 tablespoons, but we believe chocolate should be measured with your heart!

3. Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

4. Once baked, let the loaf cake cool and while you’re waiting, get started on your glaze.

FARMER’S BUTTER GLAZE

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1. Measure the sugar and cornstarch into a pot.

2. Whisk together to ensure there are no clumps of cornstarch.

3. Measure the butter and whipping cream into the sugar and cornstarch mixture.

4. Place pot on induction burner and set to 200°F.

5. Stir ingredients together until all the butter has melted and the mixture just begins to boil.

6. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

7. The butter glaze may be used right away or stored in the refrigerator wrapped with plastic wrap to use later. If using the glaze later, remove it from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature approx. 20 minutes prior to use.

8. Using a spoon or pastry brush, top your loaf cake with the glaze.

Looking for another option for topping your loaf cake? Try using our Crave Bake at Home vanilla buttercream, which you can find in the freezer aisle of select retailers!

SNACK COOKIES

Our Crave Bake at Home frozen cookie dough makes for a perfect after-lunch treat for kids (if they can wait that is!) Our cookie dough is pre-portioned and easy to bake in the evening for a week of delicious snacks.

Find our cake mix, buttercream and cookie dough at select grocery store retailers. Click here to find a retailer in your neighbourhood.

The same recipes found in our bakeries are now on grocery store shelves!

Our line of at-home goodies turns your kitchen into a personal bakery and we’re excited to share even more great places to find Crave Bake at Home products.

Giving Thanks with Every Bite

Thanksgiving isn't complete without dessert

Life's most beautiful moments are meant to be savored, one bite at a time! This Thanksgiving, let us take care of the after-dinner treats while you spend time with the ones who matter most. Here are our tips and tricks for creating the perfect Thanksgiving dessert table.

THE SET UP

We love thinking outside the box when serving treatslike using coupe cocktail glasses for cupcakes! Try using plates, cake stands, and other display items. This will help you to add dimension and layers to your dessert table.

The Details: Place settings are a great way to add a personal touch to a tablescape - we especially like when they are handwritten!

THE MENU

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes | Original Half Dozen $23.50, Mini Dozen $23.50

Pumpkin cake topped with spiced cream cheese buttercream.

Zucchini Loaf | $16.50

A zucchini loaf topped with delicious farmer’s butter sauce and pecans.

New Fall Cake Designs | starting at $75

Welcome the new season with our new Fall Wreath cake design. Your choice of vanilla or chocolate cake, decorated with vanilla buttercream.

Pumpkin Pies | Full Size $30, Mini Size $6

Made with from-scratch pastry and classic pumpkin pie filling and topped with a dollop of cream cheese buttercream made from Crave Co-Founders, Carolyne and Jodi's family recipe.

Meet Andrea

Back to School Traditions, Business Owner, Mint Chip Lover.

For the past 11 years, Andrea has included Crave in one of her favourite family traditions. Every year, after her kid’s first day of school, they pick up Crave cupcakes on their way home. While they enjoy their treats they would tell her all about their first day.

Every year, after her kid’s first day of school, they pick up Crave cupcakes on their way home. While they enjoy their treats they would tell her all about their first day. “Our back-to-school tradition is something we’ve done since they were in Kindergarten. It’s something that my kids anchor to - something that will always stay the same for them as they grow up and change.” Andrea goes on to say that she and the kids love having Crave be part of such a long-standing family tradition, and hopes they pass along the tradition to their own kids one day.

This year Andrea’s son is attending the University of Alberta and when they realized he may miss out on this years back-to-school tradition he replied “well… you can deliver Crave to the dorms!”

Andrea is an entrepreneur and owns her very own strategic branding agency in Calgary. When she’s not taking the digital marketing world by storm, Andrea loves to travel! She says that one of the big reasons she loves Crave so much is because she and her family have traveled the world and tried lots of different types of cake, but Crave is by far her favourite.

“Crave is the best my family has ever found!”

Andrea is a big fan of our Mint Chip flavour, and says “my daughter always goes for a Strawberry Vanilla cupcake, but my son will eat anything from Crave!”

“It’s something that my kids anchor to - something that will always stay the same for them as they grow up and change.”

Julien

Melaina

COOKIES WITH THE CO-FOUNDERS

Our take on Ted Lasso’s “Biscuits with the Boss”

Written by Carolyne and Jodi, Crave Co-Founders

Back in March, Crave celebrated the Season 3 premiere of Ted Lasso with a limited-edition shortbread cookie inspired by the Apple TV series. The response was sweet! We heard from Ted Lasso fans of all kinds, from first time viewers to those on their third rewatch.

If you’ve seen the show, remember that scene in Ted Lasso Season 1? The one where Ted brings biscuits to Rebecca’s office to get to know her better? His opening question to her was “first concert?” followed by “best concert?” While initially reluctant, Rebecca ends up enjoying the biscuits, and this daily ritual ultimately brings them closer and encouraged open communication.

Inspired by this, we introduced "Cookies with the Co-Founders" to chat with our incredible team members who serve our customers, bake cakes, and frost cupcakes daily.

– Carolyne and Jodi, Crave Co-Founders

From tackling problems to discovering hidden talents, we’ve been able to learn so much more about our employees. Here are just some of our favourite moments:

• The excitement from some Swifties who got tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert.

• Quick and efficient solutioning to customers questions. After we finished our chat, within an hour we were able to call them back with an answer.

• We have many outdoor enthusiasts and super creative members that like to expand their minds through learning a new craft.

• And our favourite question – “When are you going to retire?” “What is your plan?”

“Are your boys going to take over Crave?” To that we giggled and said, "We’ll let you know… we’re not quite there yet!”

Our hope for "Cookies with the Co-Founders" is simple: add a sprinkle of the “Lasso Way” into your lives and workplaces. We hope to build connections, embrace openness, and spread joy, one cookie at a time.

Oh, and by the way, my first concert was Stevie Wonder (Carolyne) and my best concert was Pink (Jodi).

"From our conversations, work highs and lows have been shared, questions have been asked, and problems have been solved."

No tricks here - just treats!

Halloween is around the corner and we’re ready to get our spook on!

Halloween Specialty Cupcake Pack Available October 16-31 $34.00

From mummies to monsters, even our LIMITED EDITION Candy Mash Up cupcakes, our Halloween menu is sure to complete any party.

Follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear when our menu drops!

Frankenstein Cake

Available October 16-31

starting at $70

"Still CRAVEing those cupcakes! This family owned empire has been a pivotal piece in many of my celebrations. Quality from the ordering, to the packaging and presentation to the taste. Thank you Crave."

- Maria