Betty Crocker Wants To Feature Your Recipe On Their Packaging

Happy Birthday, Betty Crocker! According to a press release provided to Mashed, the famous company behind those expert cake mixes, brownie batter, frosting cans, and even boxes of Hamburger Helper has reached its centennial, turning 100 years old this fall.

To celebrate this momentous 100th birthday, the brand has divulged they will run a special #CallMeBettyCrocker contest just for its biggest fans. For the first time in the company's history, bakers will get the opportunity to have a personal recipe of theirs printed and shared on Betty Crocker boxes for the whole world to see and try out in their homes — whether it be a hit cookie recipe made for PTA meetings or a killer chocolate cake baked for families during the holidays.

Runners up will also get a Betty Crocker prize pack filled with free cake mixes, specialty clothing, and cooking goods like plates and the infamous red spoon. You can enter the #CallMeBettyCrocker contest starting today up through December 31, 2021, and winners will be notified in January 2022. 

To enter, all you have to do is head to www.callmebettycrocker.com, register by filling out the entry form, and submit a picture of your remarkable dessert alongside the story of why it's so special to you and how you celebrate with the dish. Just note you must include one eligible Betty Crocker product in your recipe — the company will judge entries based on creativity and "visual appeal."

"Throughout the last century, Betty Crocker has been a constant source of knowledge and inspiration for home bakers everywhere. We want to celebrate those who have been inspired by Betty and encourage them to share and take pride in their recipes," said Maria Jaramillo, the company's Business Unit Director, in the press release provided to Mashed. "On social media alone, there have been over 22,000 posts that use the hashtag #CallMeBettyCrocker. It only makes sense to celebrate this community by creating a contest in their honor."

Indeed, the Betty Crocker company has a rich, fascinating history of building a baking community that started with its own enthralling competition. In 1921, a contest was launched by The Washburn-Crosby Company — the original makers of Gold Metal Flour, per Grocery.com —  in which users of the brand's products were to complete a jigsaw puzzle for a darling little prize: a pincushion made to look like a mini bag of flour. In response to the contest, Washburn-Crosby received lots of questions from bakers looking for guidance from their professional counterparts. 

To answer all these questions, the company created the Betty Crocker character — though, she was not a single woman, but instead a collective group of experts (via Betty Crocker's website) that gave sage advice. Even today, the website has a feature called "Ask Betty!" where bakers can get answers to their questions about baking or cooking. This contest will be another way for that legacy to live on for a new generation.