KANSAS CITY, MO — Cake has always been a traditional way to mark memorable moments in life. From birthdays to weddings to local events, cutting into a cake symbolizes a joyous occasion.
As consumers commemorate everyday moments with cakes, the category is predicted to grow. According to Research and Markets data, the cake market is estimated to reach $83.07 billion in 2024 and is expected to hit $97.85 billion by 2029.
Grand View Research reported that the retail channel segment held the largest revenue share in 2023 with 83.8% and a total of $55.05 billion in revenue.
From searching for inspiration on social media to pulling from pop culture, consumers are influenced by many different sources and are looking to retail bakers to replicate what they see.
For instance, fashion trends are finding their way into cakes in the form of hyper-feminine embellishments. Delicately placed bows and cherries — seen up and down the fashion runways lately — have been incorporated into heart-shaped Lambeth-style cakes.
Accessories aren’t the only thing on fire with food trends. One of the hottest viral decorating trends is burn-away cakes.
“I have seen the ‘burn away’ trend picking up,” said Sheila Rodriguez-Mendez, head decorator at Billy’s Bakery in New York City. “It is basically when bakers put an edible image on cakes, create a layer of height to it with an icing border and then add another layer of edible paper — but it is a different type of paper. Once lit, it dissolves and reveals what is underneath.”
Consumers request burn-away cakes for gender reveal parties and, most recently, at Super Bowl gatherings, where cakes featured a team logo, which burned away to reveal an image of Taylor Swift.
Social media is another factor influencing current cake trends. From striking creativity to turning memes into designs or piping trendy lingo onto cakes, consumers turn to social media as a way to stay up to date and gain insight on trends and then take those ideas to their local cake baker.
“I think social media really accelerates the popularity of a lot of trends because it has become so accessible to everybody; everyone is seeing new styles of cakes or trending styles,” said Marissa Velie, education and certification director for Retail Bakers of America. “I think that it really just accelerates their popularity and the demand for those products.”
Another trend influencing cakes is “little treat culture.” Made popular by Gen Z and millennials, this TikTok trend involves consumers treating themselves with a small sweet for completing a task they find difficult, uncomfortable or boring.
“Consumers are looking to social media for what they want to eat,” said Jack Ince, education coordinator for the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association. “One way we are seeing this manifest is the online portrayal of ‘little treat culture’ leading to a shift in seeing a small portioned sweet treat as a great way to treat yourself and improve your mental health.”
This form of self-care through sweet treats is an extension of the trend of everyday affordable
indulgence.
This story has been adapted from the March | Q1 2024 Craft to Crumb mini-mag. Read the full story in the digital issue here.
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