Carvel’s Fudgie Turns 40 Just In Time For Father’s Day

Fudgie the Whale, Carvel’s iconic ice cream character cake, turned 40 recently, but the frosty confection isn’t showing any signs of a midlife crisis.

As Father’s Day approaches it’s fitting to note that this cake was originally developed as a Father’s Day dessert, featuring the message “For a Whale of a Dad” by the chain’s founder Tom Carvel in 1977.

Since then, Fudgie has achieved pop-culture status with mentions on hit shows from “Saturday Night Live,” and “The Simpsons” to “Family Guy,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Live with Kelly & Ryan,” and the chocolate fin-back’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down.

More than 50,000 Fudgies are sold in Carvel shoppes each year, according to Scott Colwell, president of Carvel.

(Carvel was founded in Hartsdale, N.Y., and run by Tom Carvel for 60 years. In 1989, Carvel sold the company to Investcorp, which, in the ’90s, moved corporate offices to Farmington. Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm, purchased a controlling interest in 2001; headquarters are now in Atlanta.)

“Tom, with his distinctive raspy voice, promoted Fudgie in the most terribly produced, but most memorable ads ever,” says Colwell.

Since his introduction, Fudgie has evolved into a celebratory favorite for occasions ranging from birthdays to graduations.

“Fudgie the Whale holds a special, nostalgic place in the hearts of many Americans across multiple generations,” says Colwell. “He represents memories of pure joy and togetherness, all the way down to his core of irresistible crunchies.”

(Those “crunchies” have a secret chocolate cookie recipe kept in the company’s vault.)

Colleen Mattatall worked in a Carvel Shoppe in Naugatuck when she was in high school and often poured the ice cream molds for Fudgie and another popular Carvel character cake, Cookie Puss, an odd-looking creature with an ice cream cone nose and cookie eyes.

“I loved Fudgie,” says Mattatall. “The fudge on that cake was so delicious.”

Growing up, Wethersfield resident Dana Sorvillo had a Carvel character cake, usually Cookie Puss, each year for her birthday.

“It was tradition,” says Sorvillo. “My cousins and I would all fight over the ice-cream cone nose.”

While some Carvel products are now available in supermarkets, Fudgie the Whale is exclusive to Carvel shoppes. In some locations, Fudgie is kept company by his girlfriend, Ms. Fudgie, who features pink accents and a killer set of lashes, and, of course, Cookie Puss, (who morphs into “Cookie O’Puss each March).

“But of all our character cakes, Fudgie is much, much more memorable and popular,” says Colwell. “He’s become this real-life character that people love.”

As part of the Fudgie celebration, Carvel is collecting donations to benefit Save the Whales through Sept. 30. Every $10 donation gets an entry to win free ice cream cakes for a year and donors who contribute $25 or more receive a commemorative Fudgie the Whale plush toy, (while supplies last.) There are at least 20 Carvel shoppes in Connecticut, including in Avon, Bristol, Glastonbury, Hartford, Newington, and Vernon.

Friends of Fudgie can send virtual birthday wishes using #40YearsofFudgie or when they visit Carvel.com/FortyYearsofFudgie.