Why Celebrating Betty Crocker’s Legacy Matters – Especially for Girls

By Dr. Altreisha Foster PhD MPH
Founder & President, Cake Therapy Foundation
Empowering girls through the art and therapy of baking.
www.altreishafoster.com

There’s something timeless about the smell of cake baking in the oven -the anticipation, the warmth, the joy that fills the room. For generations, that feeling has been tied to one name: Betty Crocker. She’s more than a brand; she’s an enduring symbol of creativity, confidence, and care in the kitchen.

For me, Betty Crocker represents a part of my own story – one that began not as a professional baker, but as a woman learning to heal and rediscover joy through simple, shared moments.

Our Kitchen Beginnings

Before I ever fell in love with baking, my husband was the dessert maker in our home. He was the one who reached for the red spoon and the box of Betty Crocker cake mix. Together, we would bake those cakes—laughing, mixing, and sometimes making a mess of the kitchen.

Those moments taught me that baking wasn’t about perfection; it was about connection. It was where we found calm after busy days and joy in something as simple as stirring together butter and sugar.

Over time, that connection deepened into a calling. What began as a pastime became the foundation of Cake Therapy—a movement that uses the kitchen as a space for healing, mindfulness, and belonging.

The Power and Calm of the Kitchen

There’s a quiet kind of power that lives in the kitchen. The sound of the mixer, the rhythm of stirring, the aroma of something rising in the oven—all of it has a way of slowing the mind and centering the heart.

“When a girl learns to create, she learns she can lead.”

In Cake Therapy, we see this every day. The kitchen becomes a place where girls who may be anxious, overwhelmed, or unsure of themselves can find calm. Baking allows them to focus, to breathe, and to express themselves without judgment. This is therapeutic power in motion—steady, grounding, and deeply human.

Betty Crocker in the Cake Therapy Kitchen

To this day, we use Betty Crocker cake mixes and supplies in our Cake Therapy Foundation programs. There’s something meaningful about bringing the same ingredients that shaped so many childhood memories into spaces where girls can explore who they are and what they can become.

Each mix, each spoon, each swirl of frosting carries an invitation—to create, to express, to dream. The girls learn that the kitchen isn’t just a space to follow directions; it’s a space to imagine possibilities.

The Kitchen as a Pathway to Purpose

What’s powerful about the kitchen is that it doesn’t stop at therapy—it also leads to career pathways.

The same girls who learn to bake as a form of healing often begin to see themselves as entrepreneurs, chefs, food stylists, product developers, and culinary innovators.

In our Cake Therapy Foundation programs, we’ve seen girls discover that their creativity in the kitchen can open doors to real opportunities—careers in culinary arts, nutrition, food science, hospitality, baking technology, and entrepreneurship.

They begin to see women like Christina Tosi, Mashama Bailey, Carla Hall, Porsha Kimble, and our very own President, Dr. Altreisha Foster, and realize that there’s space for their stories too. These women show that the kitchen is more than a workspace—it’s a place of leadership, healing, and innovation. The kitchen becomes both classroom and launchpad: a place to build confidence, skill, and vision for the future.

A Legacy That Inspires Generations

Betty Crocker’s story began in 1921, as a signature responding to letters from home bakers. Over a century later, her influence continues—reminding us that the kitchen can be a site of learning, leadership, and love.

For girls in our Cake Therapy programs—many from under-resourced communities—celebrating Betty Crocker means celebrating what’s possible when women create. It’s about honoring the lineage of women who have built, nourished, and inspired from the heart of the home.

Why It Matters

Celebrating Betty Crocker isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about representation, creativity, and possibility. It’s about showing girls that the kitchen isn’t a place of limitation—it’s a place of liberation.

A space where calm meets courage. Where art meets science. And where leadership begins with a single act of creation.

As I stand beside our Cake Therapy girls, watching them pour, mix, and decorate with joy, I see Betty Crocker’s legacy alive and well—not just in the cakes, but in their confidence. Because when a girl learns she can create, she learns she can lead. And that’s a recipe worth celebrating.

Thanksgiving Spotlight Recipe: Pineapple Spice Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Pineapple Coconut Pecan Spice Cake

1 box Betty Crocker™ Spice Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 cup crushed pineapple (with juice)
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup oil or melted butter
1 cup water (adjust slightly depending on pineapple juice content)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 8-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, oil, pineapple, coconut, and pecans until well combined.
Pour evenly into pans and bake for 28–32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons coconut milk or cream
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Pinch of salt

Beat butter until light and fluffy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with coconut milk until creamy.
Stir in coconut extract and salt.
Spread generously between layers and over the top. Garnish with toasted coconut or extra pecans for a festive touch.

This cake is everything the holidays should be—warm, comforting, and made to share.