The Old-School Snack Cake Steelworkers Ate Still Exists Today

The steel industry roared to life in the 19th century, and Pennsylvania was at the fiery heart of it. The state was home to some of the world's largest steel companies, which powered cities such as Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, and Johnstown. And steelworkers facing long, physically demanding shifts needed fuel to keep them going during the workday. Enter Tastykakes. The tiny snack cake by Tasty Baking Company was one of the many iconic snacks eaten by generations of steelworkers. Tastykakes weren't just a sweet indulgence for factory and plant laborers. The sugary, individually wrapped treat provided a quick source of calories and carbohydrates, was inexpensive, and was easy to eat on the job.

Tasty Baking Company is one of the largest independent baking companies and the oldest in the United States, and was founded in 1914 by Pittsburgh baker Philip J. Baur and Boston egg salesman Herbert T. Morris, along with the launch of its famed snack. Tastykake's horse-drawn wagons, which delivered the tiny treat to retailers, were a regular sight on Philly's streets.

Before they terrified everyone with their puppet mascot commercials, Tastykake baked affordability and flavor into its marketing. Priced at 10 cents each, they were equally popular with steelworkers, other working-class laborers, and schoolchildren.

More than a century after its first little cakes rolled out of the bakery, Tastykake is still satisfying everyone with a sweet tooth. While it started as an affordable treat for industrial workers, the snack cake has stood the test of time and proven that a soft cake, a sweet filling, and a little nostalgia baked into the marketing will always be popular.

The brand's factory still operates in Philadelphia's Navy Yard, and it has expanded its line to include individually packaged treats such as pies, donuts, butterscotch sponge cakes, honey buns, and cupcakes. It's also expanded well beyond Pennsylvania. The sweet, small snack cakes are distributed across different regions of the country. 

In 2011, Georgia-based Flower Foods acquired the brand and has been distributing it ever since. However, as recently as this month, the company, which also distributes Wonder Bread and Sunbeam, announced it's looking to divest its Tastykake business.