On Feb. 25, 1914, a baker and an egg salesman opened a bakery in Philadelphia and began selling delicious small cakes. That bakery’s now famous Tastykakes are still the sweet treat of choice for Philadelphians and a growing legion of fans around the country. To mark its centennial, Tastykake, a Flowers Foods Inc. brand, is celebrating with a yearlong “Birthday Moments” initiative in partnership with the USO and new, limited edition Birthday Kake Cupcakes.

Tastykake has a long history of military support. During World War II, the bakery shipped snack cakes to employees stationed overseas, and the tradition of sending Tastykakes to America's troops continues today.

“Our ‘Birthday Moments’ initiative supports the USO’s ongoing ‘Every Moment Counts’ campaign, which calls on America to show its support for our military by helping to create real, everyday moments, like birthdays, missed by troops and their families due to their service to our country,” notes Paul Ridder, Tastykake president. “Throughout 2014, Tastykake will honor servicemen and women and their families with special birthday moments through USO locations and participation in national USO initiatives.”

No 100th birthday celebration would be complete without a special cake, and Tastykake has created just that. Its Birthday Kake Cupcakes combine festive confetti cake with chocolate-flavored icing and multicolored sprinkles. The new snack cakes are available in 12-count multipacks and hit store shelves on Feb. 25, the day the first Tastykakes hit stores 100 years ago.

“Operating any business for 100 years is no piece of cake—even for a bakery,” Ridder says. “We believe our success comes down to a simple recipe—delicious, fun snack cakes, a focus on quality and freshness, an outstanding team, and, of course, our fans. Tastykake would not be here without the 100 years of support we've received from our community.”

Tastykake will hold a special birthday celebration in Philadelphia. The city, as well as the state of Pennsylvania, has declared Feb. 25, 2014 “Tastykake Day,” and the bakery plans to “Kake over” Philadelphia by making 100 deliveries of Tastykakes to local charities and first responders.

Source: Tastykake, PR Newswire