Lake Forest Mom Creates Commemorative Cake

From Hungry Monkey: It took Hungry Monkey’s founder and Lake Forest resident, Cindy Kienzle, 30 years to start her baking company. Almost everything good in her life came late – she married her husband Tom, at 47, had a baby just days before her 49th birthday and started Hungry Monkey at 51. The “Hungry Monkey” name was inspired by her now 9 year old daughter, Lily. Unable to say more than a few words until she was nearly 4 years old, Lily, busy like a monkey, would sign “more” for her mom’s signature Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Known for their small batch, big flavor tea cakes & breads, they decided to commemorate their 7th anniversary by creating a new cake, a Cinnamon Apple Streusel Cake, chocked full of chunks of apples tossed in cinnamon sugar and folded into a rich cream cheese and butter vanilla batter. “It’s the perfect addition to our product line,” Kienzle said, adding “we use a fruit or vegetable in every cake we make!” Kienzle’s Cinnamon Apple Streusel cake is debuting exclusively at all five Sunset Foods this Wednesday, August 29th. It’ll taste even sweeter since it’s on sale for $4.99 ($1.00 off through September 5th).

Brooke Edwards, Bakery Director for Sunset Foods, said “Hungry Monkey’s Cinnamon Streusel Apple Cake is a delightfully tender cake packed with apples, and topped with sweet, crumbly cinnamon streusel. Perfect for the fall and holiday season.”

In 1987 Kienzle created a chocolate chip banana bread that everyone loved, but since she had a secure marketing career, she kept dreaming…”someday.” The Hungry Monkey Baking Company started in 2010, almost by accident. Another Lake Forest Mom encouraged her to bake her banana bread for the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff LDA’s Spring Marche; it sold out both days and people didn’t stop calling to order. Their sweets became an instant hit; three months later Sunset Foods asked to carry her cakes. A month later, ABC 7’s The Hungry Hound featured Hungry Monkey in their weekly news segment. This, along with other local press, catapulted Hungry Monkey to the next level. A month later, The Hungry Monkey Baking Company, LLC® was born at a local farmers market. She sold out weekly while building her brand. Kids, moms and dads, along with local press, continued to spread the word. In the early days, friends, family – and even customers – would come to help her wrap, box and deliver product, sometimes into the early morning hours. For the first two years Cindy would deliver to stores in her Mom mini-van, jockeying with the dairy and meat trucks, often with Lily, then 2, in tow. Hungry Monkey is now delivered by Norman Distribution to more than 25 Chicagoland stores, including Sunset Foods, Woodman’s, Potash Foods and more. Fresh Picks also delivers Hungry Monkey to homes along with their farm to home produce throughout Chicagoland and Milwaukee.

“I’m so grateful for Sunset Foods giving me my start,” Kienzle said. “They’ve been incredibly supportive and truly embrace our community and locally made products,” Kienzle added. Kienzle will be sampling her new apple creation at all five Sunset Foods’ stores, including Northbrook, Wednesday throughout the Labor Day weekend. For more detailed information on dates and times you can taste, visit Hungry Monkey’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hungrymonkeybaking/ .

Images Courtesy of Hungry Monkey