There are cakes galore in our latest round-up of sweet bakery innovation from suppliers along with new buns, beignets, yum yums, cookies, and even bagels.
Chocolate and caramel are the predominant flavours employed to treat the taste buds of consumers (some products feature both), while some fresh and fruity inclusions like blueberry, lemon, and apple are looking to inspire purchases as we skip towards the summer months.
Within a mere few weeks of our previous curation of sweet bakery launches, we delve into details of the newest baked delights hitting the market:
Chocolate Bun, Délifrance
Bakery supplier Délifrance expands its range of ready-to-bake viennoiserie with a hybrid Chocolate Bun pastry featuring a unique dome shape and spiral puff pastry effect. This adds to the Cinnamon and Brioche Buns launched late last year.
With a generous chocolate filling, the new bun is said to cater to the indulgence trend and designed as a breakfast on-the-go or daytime snacking option. Délifrance highlighted an Innova Market Insights Consumer Survey from 2023 that found more than half of global consumers claimed they ate chocolate confectionery at least once a week.
Sold frozen in individual molds, the Chocolate Buns are available from national wholesalers in boxes of 54.
Galaxy Caramel Cake, Mars Chocolate Drinks & Treats
This newly launched cake (rsp: £4) comprises chocolate sponge with pockets of caramel sauce, topped with rich chocolate frosting, chocolate buttons, and a caramel drizzle. Available at Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores now and Asda by the end of the month, it joins other Mars varieties of small sharing cakes including Maltesers, Galaxy Triple Chocolate, Mars Chocolate, and Caramel.
According to IRI data from November 2023, the sharing cakes market is worth £244m with 18.5% and 2.9% increases in value and volume, respectively, compared to the previous month. Branded sharing cakes are outperforming both of these metrics, growing by 25.7% in value and 8.5% in volume.
“Brands continue to play an important role within the category and we believe that the combination of the smooth taste of Galaxy and the ever-popular caramel favour will appeal to a wide range of customers,” said Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks & Treats.
Blueberry Bagels, New York Bakery Co.
The UK’s number one bagel brand with a 69% value share of the £182.4m standard bagel market (according to 2024 IRI data) has unveiled a limited-edition variety with real baked-in blueberries.
Priced at £1.90 for a pack of five, the NPD has been rolled out at Tesco stores nationwide with Morrisons and Asda to follow in the coming months.
New York Bakery Co. said it was committed to investing in standout limited-edition flavours with its Cookies N’Cream Bagels delivering sales of £770k since launching last year, contributing to the brand’s £98.5m turnover in the 52 weeks to 23 March 2024 (IRI market data).
“Blueberry is a flavour that is synonymous with the best bagel shops and delis in New York,” commented Christina Honigfort, marketing & insights director at New York Bakery Co. “It represents everything we stand for as a brand at a time when bagel sales are out-performing the wider breakfast category, with 4.1% year-on-year volume growth compared to just -0.1%,” she added, referring to 2024 Kantar data.
Caramelised Biscuit Yum Yums, The Delicious Desserts Company
These handcrafted sweet treats combine the rich flavours of caramel fondant with the satisfying crunch of caramelised biscuit pieces, encased in a crispy pastry. Available at Tesco stores, the NPD joins the brand’s existing line up of yum yums and éclairs, such as the ones debuted last December.
The Delicious Dessert Company, which is owed by Bakkavor Group, said it remains committed to reinventing dessert classics for the more adventurous tastebuds of a younger generation.
Research conducted on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 consumers revealed that 86% of young people surveyed felt many iconic British cakes had become dated and boring to eat. An injection of more modern, exciting flavours was needed, noted the respondents, who named caramel, triple chocolate, chocolate orange, and strawberries and cream as most desirable.
Mini Beignets, Moi by Mademoiselle Desserts
Bite-sized beignets crafted from authentic buttery brioche dough for a light, fluffy, and soft finish have been rolled out by Mademoiselle Desserts’ new brand Moi. Available in packs of eight (rsp: £3.50), the four flavour options – Apple, Hazelnut & Cocoa, Red Fruits, and Speculoos – are said to offer something for every occasion and season.
“At Moi, we believe in the mantra of ‘Great ingredients. Great taste’,” commented Anthony Saison, head of category insights & customer marketing at Mademoiselle Desserts, adding “As a certified B Corp, we are dedicated to clean and responsible practices, ensuring that only the highest quality ingredients are used in every creation”.
Recent research commissioned by the manufacturer found that calorie legislation and pressures on disposable income are posing particular risks to out-of-home dessert and sweet bakery consumption.
Signature Collection Cakes, Mr Kipling
Two decadent small cakes – Chocolate & Caramel Layer Cakes and Double Chocolate Cakes – have been added to Mr Kipling’s Signature Collection range, which aims to tap into the growing trend of UK consumers treating themselves with sweet bakery in the evening.
Mr Kipling pointed to Kantar Worldpanel Usage data from 2023, which had chocolate as the top flavour for such indulgences, making up over 40% of all evening cake snacks. The Chocolate & Caramel Layer Cakes feature chocolate flavoured creme and caramel sauce rolled in chocolate sponge, coated in milk chocolate, while the Double Chocolate Cakes include layers of chocolate sponge, milk chocolate sauce and chocolate flavoured creme, coated in milk chocolate.
Signature Dessert and Cookie Pucks, Country Range
Foodservice sector supplier Country Range has introduced an inaugural dessert to its Signature range of premium tier products, which was launched last year as part of a brand refresh.
The Chocolate & Marmalade Marble Cake, which comes frozen in 16 portions, comprises two layers of chocolate and orange hand swirled marbled sponge, filled with Seville orange marmalade and an orange cream, finished with Belgian chocolate buttercream and decorated with chocolate orange segments.
Meanwhile, Country Range has extended its Cookie Puck collection (which was rolled out in 2022) with two new varieties – Oat, Lemon & Raisin and Speculaas Spiced. Sold in packs of 90, they join other flavours including Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, and Double Chocolate.
The company called them a ‘great kitchen tool for managing portions, controlling stock and reducing waste’, and a ‘fantastic timesaver’ as they can be baked from frozen in just nine to 11 minutes. The dough can also be used in a wide array of recipes such as cheesecake (see picture), cookie butter, and ice cream sandwiches.
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