Sanders Bumpy Cakes to return as owners find new production partner

If you've missed the beloved Sanders Bumpy Cake, your wait is nearly over.

Vic Mehren, CEO of Sanders' parent company Second Nature Brands, announced they've found a new partner to produce the iconic cake with cream-filled "bumps" on top.

In a social media post shared with the Free Press, Mehren wrote:

"Here at Sanders, we know that the Sanders brand and its products hold a special place in your hearts and homes, staples for celebrations and creating memories for generations of Michiganders. This is why it feels so good to share with you that Sanders Bumpy Cakes, the iconic Michigan treat created more 100 years ago by our founder, Fred Sanders, himself, are headed back to stores."

After months of searching and talking to nearly a dozen companies, Mehren said they were able to "find the right partners who meet our high standards for quality and service and can deliver the same Bumpy Cake taste we all know and love."

While Mehren did not disclose the name of its new baking partner, he said Bumpy Cakes will soon be rolling out.

"We wanted to take our time, do our homework and find the right bakery partner, which we have, that has the quality standards ... and, most importantly, could deliver on that great Bumpy Cake taste and texture."

Bumpy Cakes will ship out to stores in Michigan over the next few weeks.

There was no production of the cakes for six months and the beloved cakes were out of stock at most retail locations. Mehren did not reveal specific figures but said they "lost half of our sales in six months."

In searching for a baking partner, Mehren said they received lots of leads early on and feedback from the community to get Bumpy Cakes back to consumers.

"It was amazing and mostly positive," he said. "The amount of help we got right out of the gates ... we opened up our customer service line and got a lot of leads for a lot of different partners," he said. "And we talked to every one of them. Unfortunately, some of them didn't have the capability."

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Mehren said that amount of help, while amazing, gave them "a big jolt of energy" to get cakes back into production.

When Bumpy Cakes return to stores, customers can expect the same beloved treat.

"What was paramount for us when we come back with people's Bumpy Cakes that they love and have loved for generations, it needs to be the same eating experience, the same taste experience, the same look in that cool white box with a window on it," Mehren said.

Why Bumpy Cakes disappeared

Production of Bumpy Cakes suddenly halted last fall when Minnie Marie Bakers Inc., owners of the longtime Awrey’s Bakery in Livonia, shuttered the production facility on Farmington Road.

Its September 2023 closure was the end for cakes, cookies and other baked goods sold to the public, including Sanders Bumpy Cake.

The closure and sudden, unexpected production stop of Bumpy Cakes led Second Nature Brands, based in Madison Heights, to search for a new partner.

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This isn't the first time Sanders faced a production issue with a product. In November 2022, the company paused production of its popular hot fudge and caramel toppings amid manufacturing issues. Production of the toppings returned in late summer 2023 with milk chocolate and caramel toppings — its two best-selling flavors — being the first to be produced.

Bumpy Cake lovers will soon be able to buy the cakes at Michigan retailers as they did before, as well as at Sanders stores and online at sanderscandy.com in a variety of sizes, plus the vanilla buttercream and carrot cake varieties.

Mehren said customers should start seeing Bumpy Cakes in some Michigan retailers, Sanders stores in Clinton Township and Rochester, and online at the end of May and in June.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sanders Bumpy Cakes to return as owners find new production partner