Sweetening America's 250th Birthday: General Mills Gifts 1 Million Free Betty Crocker Cakes

America’s No. 1 cake mix brand* reveals America’s favorite birthday cake flavors by state and invites families nationwide to celebrate summer traditions together with free cakes

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Betty Crocker, America’s favorite cake mix brand*, has helped families celebrate birthdays for generations and as the country prepares to blow out 250 candles, General Mills is giving away up to one million free cakes from the brand to mark the milestone birthday.

General Mills' own history is deeply intertwined with American families and their culinary traditions. Founded in 1866 in Minneapolis by bringing together regional milling companies to create one of the nation’s earliest food companies, General Mills is celebrating its own 160th birthday this year. Today, the company is a cornerstone of American pantries, with its products in more than 90% of households across the country. Betty Crocker, one of General Mills’ most iconic brands, was introduced in 1921 and quickly became a beloved and trusted voice in American homes, offering baking advice through radio programs, cookbooks and recipes.

“Betty Crocker is a true icon of the kitchen that has brought families together to celebrate and connect for generations. From birthdays and holidays to heartwarming everyday moments, with Betty, it’s always a little more special,” said Luke Niethammer, Business Unit Director for Betty Crocker at General Mills. “This summer, we’re thrilled to be able to help families across America come together and celebrate this milestone. Because when it comes to celebrating life’s special moments, Betty Crocker is always there to help.”

Driven by a desire to understand what truly makes these celebrations complete, and with cake mixes and frostings for every occasion — from a classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting to strawberry, carrot and triple chocolate cake mixes — Betty Crocker recently surveyed consumers nationwide** about their birthday dessert traditions. The findings reveal that cake remains at the center of the annual moments, with 76% agreeing it does not feel like a birthday celebration without cake.

The survey also uncovered a sweet point of agreement across the country. Chocolate ranked as the top birthday cake flavor in 49 states, earning the title as America’s favorite, with 30% choosing it as their top pick. Kentucky was the only state to choose another flavor (Red Velvet).

Beyond flavor preferences, the findings show that cake continues to play a central role in how we celebrate birthdays and share special moments together:

• 51% say cake is the dessert they most want at a birthday celebration.
• 39% prefer homemade birthday cake, ahead of bakery-made cakes at 28% and grocery store cakes at 11%.
• 36% say sharing cake with others is one of the most important parts of a birthday cake.
• When it comes to cake toppings, classic is preferred, with 47% saying frosting alone is best.
• Cream cheese ranked as America’s favorite birthday cake frosting flavor (29%), and 50% say the corner slice with two edges of frosting is the best slice of cake.

To claim a free cake, consumers can purchase a participating Betty Crocker cake mix product and visit www.AmericasBirthday.BettyCrocker.com to submit a photo of the receipt for the chance to receive reimbursement up to $3.99, while supplies last.***

Follow @BettyCrocker on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more baking inspiration this summer.

*Based on 52 Weeks of Nielsen Sales Data for Dry Cake Mixes ending 6/6/26

**The survey of 5,000 Americans (100 in each state) was conducted by Talker Research on the behalf of Betty Crocker between May 28 and June 5, 2026

***Void in RI, CT, ND, NC, and Miami Dade County. U.S., 18+. Purchase participating Betty Crocker™ Cake Mix between 6/18/26 & 7/11/26. Submit photo of receipt to www.AmericasBirthday.BettyCrocker.com by 7/25/26 @ 11:59:59 PM CT. Rebate not provided at register. Rebate is purchase price of Betty Crocker™ Cake Mix (up to $3.99). Rebate provided via PayPal or Venmo. 1 per person. See Terms @ website for details. For Questions: [e-mail]

About General Mills

General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2025 net sales of U.S. $19 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit www.generalmills.com.