Simply Sweet | Valentine's 2024

VALENTINE'S 2024

valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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Love is…

The cookies you baked for a friend, “just because.”

The pack of cupcakes you left on a neighbour’s front porch with a hand-written note.

The little treat left on your desk after a long day.

The cake you decorated together, laughter filling the kitchen.

Love comes in all forms, from longshot Valentines to long hugs from good friends.

From taking a moment to yourself after a busy day to baking a special treat for the one you love.

No matter the time, place, or people, there’s one thing we know for sure - love is sweet!

We bake it into every batch.

valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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table of contents

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It's Galentine's Season

Crave-o-licious Cake Pops

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Have you met Helen?

12 Our Valentine's Favourites

Photography Credits Michelle Radomski and 4 Genevieve Renee

Treat Yourself with a Little Self-love

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valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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It's Galentine's Season Grab the heart balloons and cue the confetti - it’s Galentine’s season!

To celebrate, we interviewed two pairs of besties to find out the best way to spend Galentine’s Day, and how Crave is part of their celebrations!

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From the left: Nikita, Micki, Leah and Valentina

Leah and Micki have been friends for 6 years and Valentina and Nikita met about a year ago through work! The four of them answered our casting call for a Galentine’s Day photoshoot and we had a blast getting to know them and hearing all about their friendship.

Leah and Micki’s Galentine’s Day plans are all about self-care and quality time.

When describing her ideal plans, Leah was quick to say “a spa day, complete with champagne and sweets!” Micki seconded this, exclaiming “First - facials! Then we’d go for coffee and cupcakes of course, and end the day with some bubbly.”

Nikita is also a big fan of a Galentine’s spa day, while Valentina prefers a dinner date. “I love to go to dinner and share a bottle of rosé with my girlfriends on Galentine’s Day - fits the vibe!”

Whether they’re celebrating their girls, their accomplishments, or anything in between, Crave has a special place in their moments - big and small. valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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How to plan the perfect Galentine’s Day party Wondering how to make your Galentine’s Day even sweeter? Whether your gal pals are looking to unwind with a cozy night in or dance the night away at a pink-themed party, follow these steps to create the perfect Galentine’s Day vibes!

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Step 1 - Create a Guest List Are you inviting friends, neighbours, coworkers, or all of the above? Make a list and check it twice! If you’re feeling extra fancy, we love a homemade invitation (and we especially love homemade Valentines!)

Step 2 - Set the Vibe Are you in your hosting era? From dreamy tablescapes to pink disco balls, we’ve got ideas everyone in your girl group is going to love.

The Ultimate Spa Retreat

Take a page out of Leah and Micki’s book and treat yourselves to a relaxing spa day (or night!) Whether you’re booking facials together or grabbing your favourite PJ's and having a rom-com marathon at home, we think cupcakes make everything better. Pick up a pack (or two) of our Valentine’s Day Cupcakes, kick your feet up, and relax! You and your girls deserve it.

Love to Party

Think glitz, glam, and the heart-shaped cake of your dreams! With all things retro coming back in style, why not pull out the polaroid camera and have your very own Galentine’s dance party? We suggest kicking things off with Spice Girl’s “Wannabe” and a piece of our Valentine’s Heart Cake.

Dinner Date

Be the hostess with the mostest with an intimate dinner party! All you need to do is take care of the main course - we’ve got dessert covered. Set up your dreamy love-themed tablescape with our Raspberry Dip cupcakes galore. To make things extra special, place a Sweetheart Cookie at each table setting.

Step 3 - Enjoy!

No matter whether you choose a theme, host a party, or just spend some quality time with the people you love, nothing makes Galentine’s Day as sweet as the company of your besties (and your favourite treats, of course). valentine's2024 2024||cravecupcakes.ca cravecupcakes.ca 99 valentine's

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Have you met

Helen?

Mother of our Co-founders Jodi and Carolyne, talented baker, and line-dancer extraordinaire.

On their family farm in High River, Helen spent many days baking in the kitchen with her daughters. Carolyne recalls “I have just always, always loved to bake since I was a little girl - and I still bake today.”

In fact, Helen created the recipe for our Sweetheart Cookies! Her and her daughters baked these cookies together every Valentine’s Day so they could pass them out to their classmates. This recipe became their Valentine’s tradition, and it makes its way onto Crave’s Valentine’s Day Menu every year.

From being seven years old, baking with their mom in the kitchen, to sharing delicious baking with customers, togetherness has always been at the heart of Crave. Find a moment for togetherness this Valentine’s Day - whether that’s baking in the kitchen with your family, splitting a pack of cupcakes with your bestie, or simply spending quality time with a loved one!

valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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Our Valentine's Favourites

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Heart Cake

Sweetheart Specialty Pack

Perfect for sharing, your sweetheart is sure to LOVE our heart cake! Two layers of chocolate or vanilla cake decorated with scrumptious Vava vanilla buttercream.

This is our ultimate Valentine's Day gift!

Featuring ruffle flower and I Love You cupcake designs, plus our feature flavours Cinnamon Bun and Raspberry Dip.

Valentine's Mini Cupcake Dozen

Sweetheart Cookies

Our Valentine's Day cupcake collection!

This cupcake pack is perfect for parties or a Valentine's Day gift!

Vanilla cookies decorated with Vava pink vanilla buttercream, with a sweet message on top. These cookies come individually boxed, making them the perfect gift for that special someone!

valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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Crave-o-licious Cake Pops:

Valentine's Edition with Kelsey

“I love making cake pops because they're fun, easy and allow me to be creative!”

- Kelsey, Bakery Lead at Crave Kensington 14

Cake Pops Makes approx. 32 cake pops Cake pops are one of those desserts that are super easy and fun to make, but will have people saying “oh my gosh, you made these?” Whether you’re an experienced baker or a beginner, our Crave Bake at Home line makes baking quality treats quick, easy, and extra delicious.

Ingredients:

Making the Cake:

1 container of Crave Cake Mix

1. Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions and bake in a 9x13 pan. For baking in a 9x13 pan, bake the cake for 15-20 minutes.

1 container of Crave Buttercream 12 oz of Candy Melts (we recommend Wilton or Sweet Tooth Fairy) 1-2 tbsp shortening, or coconut oil Sprinkles, or other decorations

2. Whip the buttercream as per the package instructions.

3. Once the cake is cooled, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to crush the cake into crumbs.

Cookie scoop or tablespoon

4. Add ½ cup of buttercream at a time until a dough forms. The dough should hold together when squeezed and roll into balls without crumbling.

Stand/Floral Foam or a sheet lined with parchment

5. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll into smooth balls.

Lollipop sticks or cookie sticks

6. Place in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Tools:

Stand mixer or hand mixer

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Preparing the Chocolate: 1. Microwave candy melts in a microwave safe dish for 30 second intervals, until melted.

If needed, add shortening to the coating chocolate 1 tablespoon at a time until you get your desired thickness. It should be thin enough to run off easily, but thick enough to coat the cake ball. If the chocolate is too thick it can cause the cake ball to be too heavy and fall off the stick.

2. Remove your cake pops from the fridge.

Dip about 0.5 inch of each lollipop or cookie stick into the chocolate and then into each cake ball.

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Decorating: 1. Return your cake pops into the fridge or freezer for a minute or two before you start dipping.

This will help to prevent the chocolate from cracking.

2. Using a short cup with a narrower opening, working with 4-5 balls at a time, dip your cake pop into the melted chocolate until it is fully coated. Gently tap excess chocolate off the pop using your opposite hand.

3. If using sprinkles, add these to the top now before the chocolate sets.

4. If decorating with chocolate, once cake pop has set, repeat the above melting process for the chocolate and use a spoon or bag to drizzle the chocolate on top.

5. For holding the finished cake pops, we like to use floral foam. Place the cake pop stick down in a stand or floral foam. Or lay on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Troubleshooting: Cracks – This happens because of the temperature difference between the chocolate and cake. Let chocolate cool a bit before dipping, and don’t dip cake pops that are too cold.

Falling off the stick – The cake pops may be too heavy, either from the size of the balls, or the thickness of the chocolate. They also may be too warm.

Storage and Shelf Life: Cake pops can be stored for 1-2 days in a cool dry place, up to one week in the fridge, or one month in the freezer. Let the cake pops come back up to room temperature before serving, about 30-60 minutes.

Share your cake pop creations with us by tagging @cravecupcakes valentine's 2024 | cravecupcakes.ca

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Valentine's Day

This Valentine’s Day, celebrate love by doing something special for yourself! We’ve rounded up some of our favourite self-care activities in Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon - check them out below!

Nothing says self-care like…

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Getting Pampered EDMONTONIANS Treat yourself to a fabulous facial at Wellness on Whyte! They’ll customize your facial to your unique skin needs so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the benefits!

SASKATONIANS Choose from a list of relaxing massage therapy treatments at Just for You, Spa & Wellness.

CALGARIANS Experience the benefits of Hydrotherapy at SKA Thermal Spa. Their facilities bring hydrotherapy indoors with a combination of hot and cold facilities, and a full line-up of treatments.

Going on a solo-date EDMONTONIANS Unleash your creative side at Crankpots on Whyte Ave with some pottery painting. Pick from a variety of items - from mugs to trinket dishes to piggy banks - and paint the day away!

SASKATONIANS Take in a picture show! We love the Roxy Theatre for its Spanish-villa style decor and unique showings. The best part of going to a movie on your own?

You don’t have to share your popcorn!

CALGARIANS Take yourself on the create your own food tour experience: "Alberta Food Finder Game: Kensington". This is a self-guided food experience for which you only need your smartphone with GPS. It's perfect if you want to explore the city.

Taking an extra moment to yourself No matter which city you’re in, self-love can be as simple as being kind to yourself, taking a deep breath, calling a friend, or getting yourself a little treat just because.

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cravecupcakes.ca Calgary | Edmonton | Saskatoon FOLLOW US @cravecupcakes @cravecupcakesyeg @cravecupcakesyxe All content created by Crave Cupcakes.

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All products pictured in this magazine will be subject to availability.