The Real-Life Duncan Hines' Favorite Food Was A Sweet Classic

For home bakers across the United States, the name Duncan Hines is synonymous with one of the best brands of packaged cake mix (and ready-made frosting) out there. You might be surprised to learn, however, that Duncan Hines was a real person who made his fortune thanks to his distinguished palate. Long before his name was printed on Dolly Parton box mixes (just check out the four new flavors she released in 2023), Duncan Hines was a traveling salesman from Kentucky who traversed the country from the 1920s through the 1940s. During his travels, Hines noticed the lack of travel guides for American restaurants, and, taking advantage of the automobile's growing popularity, decided to publish his own, titled "Adventures in Good Eating," in 1936.

Out of all the culinary delights Hines encountered, there was one dessert that stood out as his all-time favorite food: ice cream. When asked about his favorite food, Hines replied in his 1955 book "Duncan Hines' Food Odyssey," "Well I think that my day-in, day-out favorite is ice cream which I sometimes enjoy for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. There are times, of course, when I much prefer other good things to eat, but over the long run, ice cream remains my all-time preference" (via FoodTimeline). While Hines never shared his favorite flavor, it's easy to imagine how refreshing a cone of ice cream could be after a long day on the road.

Duncan Hines had strict standards for the restaurants he included in his travel guide. For one, he required a personal inspection of a restaurant's kitchen, as he was a big advocate of food safety and standards (Hines once famously joked that more people would die from unsanitary cooking than hit-and-run accidents while driving). This dedication to high-quality eats established Hines as the go-to name when it came to reputable restaurants.

This positive reputation led businessman Roy Park to approach Hines in the late 1940s to create a food company branded with Hines' name. In the early days of Hines-Park, Inc., the company released over 150 products, but its earliest success came from its ice cream. Duncan Hines developed his company's branded ice cream himself, setting out to create a manufactured ice cream on par with the high-quality ice cream he found while on the road. The company only released three flavors — the classic trio of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry — but the ice cream's high butterfat content led to a rich, premium-tasting flavor that resonated greatly with the American public.