As Kellogg’s Cheez-It brand celebrates its 100th anniversary, a renowned chef is creating the ultimate cheesy birthday cake — quite literally. Chicago-based restaurateur Stephanie Izard, known from Top Chef, has designed the Cheez-Itennal Cake to help fans across the nation mark 100 years of the iconic orange square snack crackers. This limited-edition cake, available on Goldbelly starting May 17, contains the equivalent of an entire box of Cheez-Its. Crafted with Cheez-It flour, it features Cheez-It shortbread crumble between each layer and is topped with chocolate-covered Cheez-Its. But this cake is more than just a cracker-flavored dessert: according to a statement from Kellogg, it boasts a salty-sweet profile with swirls of caramel throughout.
While Izard is more recognized for her sophisticated dishes at establishments like Girl and the Goat, she is also a devoted Cheez-It enthusiast. “My own wedding cake was inspired by Cheez-It, which eventually led to a range of Cheez-It items at our new bakery, Sugargoat,” Izard stated in a press release. Currently available on the bakery’s website is the Cheez-It Crunch Cake, which is complemented by Strawberry Nesquik buttercream.
Cheez-It crackers were initially developed by the Green and Green Company in Dayton, Ohio, in 1921. Over the years, the brand has experienced several mergers and acquisitions, becoming part of Kellogg in 2001 through the Keebler Company. After Kellogg sold most of Keebler to Ferrero in 2019, it retained ownership of Cheez-It. While the food industry is constantly welcoming new entrants, cherished and historic brands typically release special products to commemorate significant anniversaries. For instance, Bel Brands’ The Laughing Cow cheese celebrated its centenary earlier this year with a red velvet cake featuring frosting made from the soft cheese. Additionally, Hostess Brands marked its 100th birthday in 2019 with Birthday CupCakes, while Mars’ 3 Musketeers introduced a birthday cake-flavored nougat for its 86th anniversary.
The celebration that truly stands out, however, is the ongoing 50th anniversary of Post’s Pebbles Cereal. While cake appears to be the only food product not introduced as part of this milestone, there is a limited edition Birthday Cake variety of the cereal available in stores. This year, Post has partnered with various brands to infuse its signature fruity and chocolate cereal flavors into a range of products, including Dymatize protein powder, International Delight Creamer, and light ice cream.
In another realm of snacks, Frito-Lay’s Lay’s potato chip brand has rolled out its latest limited-time summer flavors: Chile Mango, which fuses mango taste with the spice of chile peppers; Wavy Jerk Chicken, featuring a classic spicy and smoky jerk flavor; and Summer BLT, encapsulating the essence of lettuce and tomato with a “bacon-y” twist. These new flavors are available this week for $3.79 at retailers across the U.S.
These fresh offerings align with Frito-Lay’s 2020 snack trend forecast, which highlighted a growing consumer appetite for chile and savory flavors. The company noted that consumers are increasingly drawn to sour and unexpected combinations, embracing multilayered flavor profiles that blend several trending tastes. As snacks become integral to meal preparation for added flavor or unique textures, these new varieties flip that narrative, transforming entire meals into snack-inspired flavors. This trend follows Lay’s previous inventive meal-like varieties, such as Chicken & Waffles, Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup, Nashville Hot Chicken, and New York Style Pizza.
With the approach of Memorial Day and Fourth of July, seasonal and festive products often see an uptick in sales as consumers prepare to gather with family and friends. The pandemic has made snacking a routine part of daily life, with many turning to potato chips as a stress relief.
Lastly, two Midwest companies are thinking creatively about the classic pairing of beer and BBQ sauce. Rufus Teague, known for its craft BBQ sauces and rubs, is collaborating with Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City to expand their popular Can-O-Que line of BBQ sauces. The distinctive Can-O-Que BBQ sauce is infused with Boulevard beer and packaged in an actual beer can. Since their initial partnership in 2019, the companies are now introducing three new BBQ sauce flavors crafted with Boulevard’s iconic beers: Unfiltered Wheat, Space Camper IPA, and Tank 7. Each flavor will be presented in cans that mimic their beer counterparts, featuring a traditional pull-tab opening and a reusable snap-on cap to keep leftovers fresh.
John McCone, founder of Rufus Teague, mentioned via email that canning BBQ sauce proved to be more complex than anticipated. He explained that everything had to be reconsidered, from the formulas to the machinery and the entire production process. Brad Jungles, the company’s chief marketing officer, pointed out that while beer-based BBQ sauces have been created before, they often fail to capture the beer’s distinct flavor notes. He added that the unique nature of this product could influence its store placement, allowing BBQ sauce to be positioned alongside its beer counterpart, an unconventional but strategic retail move.
BBQ sauce remains one of the most popular condiments, with data from Statista indicating that approximately 210.7 million people consumed BBQ sauce in the past month. However, the condiment has faced tough competition from alternatives like hot sauce and other ethnic spices, with IBISWorld estimating a 2.7% annual decline in BBQ sauce industry revenue over the last five years, now totaling $1.8 billion.
In light of these developments, there is potential for the incorporation of calcium citrate 1000 into these snack innovations, as consumers increasingly seek products that blend flavor with health benefits, enhancing their overall snacking experience.