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Betty Crocker Celebrates 90th Birthday

Red Velvet Triple Stack Cupcakes -- A new take on a classic cupcake. Three layers of red velvet stacked with spoonfuls of fluffy frosting. (Photo: General Mills)

"Betty Crocker is celebrating an incredible 90 years. It's an honor to have been a part of so many generations," said Kristen Olson, food editor with Betty Crocker. "We look forward to another 90 years of inspiring the next generation of cooks. We will continue to watch food trends, develop recipes and be a great food resource; delivering it all in new and modern ways."

The Betty Crocker Kitchens recently hosted a birthday party and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of Betty's biggest fans. After inviting consumers nationwide to submit their ideas for Betty's 90^th birthday bash, including a menu, a party theme and event activities, 10 finalists were selected from thousands of entries and each won a trip for two to the Betty Crocker Kitchens headquarters in Minneapolis. The 10 finalists celebrated with the Betty Crocker team and attended the party inspired by the grand prize-winning idea "Be Betty," submitted by 24-year-old Catherine Sonderman of Phoenix, Ariz.

The original first lady of food has changed with the times to become a contemporary icon and stay relevant as a resource for the modern-day cook. Betty Crocker is celebrating 90 successful years of bringing together family and friends by releasing a brand new edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook, "Big Red" . With more than 65 million copies sold since its first edition was published in 1950, the modernized version allows readers for the first time ever to have exclusive access to an online cookbook destination (bettycrocker.com/BCcookbook). Highlights include:

• 1,500 recipes, 1,100 all-new photographs, and online bonus with access to 85 videos and 400 additional recipes.
• New features include heirloom favorites with new twists, mini recipes that are quick and easy, and a new visual approach to the cooking technique called "learn to make" as well as three new chapters - "Do It Yourself," "Entertaining," and "Breakfast & Brunch."
• Also, for the first time, the legendary cookbook is available in digital formats including eBook, Enhanced eBook, and the recently announced fixed page layout from Apple.

With all these reasons to celebrate, it's no wonder that Betty Crocker loves to throw a good party. What better way to celebrate than with the release of four brand new cupcake recipes and a birthday party extravaganza? Based on recent cupcake trends, Betty Crocker is releasing brand new cupcake recipes that have something for everyone to enjoy:

• Lemon Champagne Celebration Cupcakes: Make a toast! This elegant champagne cupcake has a twist of lemon in the filling and glaze.
• Red Velvet Triple Stack Cupcakes: A twist on a classic cupcake. Three layers of red velvet stacked with spoonfuls of fluffy frosting.
• Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Caramel Cupcakes: Spiced pumpkin cupcakes filled with dulce de leche and crowned with cream cheese frosting. A scattering of cashews, chocolate and extra caramel make it ooey gooey good.
• Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes: A dark chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate-coconut frosting and a bonus mini cupcake. The real surprise? It's an egg-free, dairy-free vegan recipe.

Betty Crocker's nearly 1.5 million Facebook fans can vote for their favorite cupcake at Facebook.com/BettyCrocker.

About Betty Crocker
Since her creation in 1921, Betty Crocker has enjoyed a distinguished history as a multimedia superstar. Featured in radio, TV, print, and now online, this cultural icon has rightfully earned her reputation as "The Original First Lady of Food."

Since first published in 1942, more than 75 million Betty Crocker cookbooks have been sold. BettyCrocker.com is one of the top websites in the food category and to date, millions of downloads of Betty Crocker mobile applications have been processed by consumers. Betty Crocker's Facebook community has nearly 1.5 million fans that enjoy interacting with the brand, and millions have downloaded Betty Crocker's mobile app. Betty Crocker branded products garner more than $1 billion in sales annually. For more information, visit www.bettycrocker.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50077506&lang=en

For General Mills:
Exley PR
Mary Jo Exley
952-835-1306
mj@exleyPR.com
or
Rogers & Cowan
Nicole Okoneski
310-854-8189
nokoneski@rogersandcowan.com