North Shore’s Hungry Monkey Baking Company Engages Customers through Facebook to Choose their Next Cake; 100 sign-up to Vote!
For Lake Forest resident Cindy Kienzle, everything came later in life. "I got married at 47, had my first child just days before my 49th birthday, and started my baking business—a lifelong dream—at 50," Kienzle stated.
Kienzle, now 52, started The Hungry Monkey Baking Company a year and a half ago, after losing her long-term management position with the Chicago Transit Authority during an administration change-all while 7 months pregnant. In only a few months, with a two-year-old in tow, she went from selling her cakes at local farmers markets to supermarkets. Her "crazy-good" line of all-natural cakes, triple chocolate brownies and chocolate chip macaroons are in all Sunset Foods stores, Mariano's Fresh Markets, and online at www.hungrymonkeybaking.com.
Recently, she asked her most loyal customers to decide her next cake creation; her only criterion was that it had to be chocolate. The suggestions rolled in via Hungry Monkey’s Facebook page, and this coming Tuesday, Jan. 31, she'll reveal the three finalists and let her customers vote on the cakes at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook. "Social media, especially Facebook, has been critical to our communicating with our grocery store customers I rarely have the opportunity to meet, and never get to thank," Kienzle said. "One of our best farmers market customers jokingly suggested having a tasting party in a Facebook post and I thought it was a great idea. More than 100 people have RSVP’d to vote and choose our next, and last, cake," Kienzle added.
Chef Sarah Stegner, two-time James Beard award-winner, is hosting the party at Prairie Grass, the restaurant she co-owns with George Bumbaris. They are providing the canapés (Hungry Monkey will be providing tastings of their entire product line, plus samples of the NEW chocolate cake finalists for each guest to taste so they can "vote" on their favorite. The "winning" cake will be announced that same night at 6:10 pm (the winning cake will be available in grocery stores late March). "Partnering with Prairie Grass Cafe is a perfect fit as we share many of the same customers–loyal customers who care about high-quality, all natural & local products," Kienzle added.
Kienzle’s four cake finalists are:
* A Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Covered Cherries and Sweet Cherries & Chocolate Ganache Glaze;
* A Chocolate Cake with Candied Orange and Orange Zest & Chocolate Ganache Glaze;
* A Mint Chocolate Cake with Candied Orange Peel & Chocolate Ganache Glaze; and
* A Chocolate Cake with a Raspberry Ribbon & Chocolate Ganache Glaze.
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For more information, contact: Cindy Kienzle, Chief Baking Officer, The Hungry Monkey Baking Company,LLC. at 847-477-3907 or Cindy@hungrymonkeybaking.com
