bake - September 2014 - PAN36

CAKES AND DECORATING
CAKES AND DECORATING
Decorating with
Chocolate
Chocolate, both as a dessert fl avor
and as a decorative topping, continues
to trend upward. Decorating cakes,
cupcakes and desserts with chocolate
is made easier by the increasing
number of choices of chocolates available
to bakers.
For instance, BakeMark now
offers C'est Vivant® chocolate in
chips & chunks, coating chocolate,
couverture chocolate for high-end
applications, chocolate ganache, and
chocolate decorations.
"Our C'est Vivant chocolate
decorations are made out of couverture
chocolate," explains Carrie
Skromme, a BakeMark technician.
"You can apply these decorations to
cakes, cupcakes, donuts - anywhere
to give an upscale fl air. It's going to
help increase profi ts and save you
on labor costs."
It is important to know what
types of chocolates are in demand
by your local customers. Of note,
milk chocolate is preferred by 57%
of chocolate consumers in the
US, followed by dark chocolate
(33%) and white chocolate (10%),
according to Mintel.
Older consumers prefer dark
chocolate more than younger ones.
Two-thirds of consumers aged 25-34
prefer milk chocolate, compared to
half of those aged 55-64.
Because all C'est Vivant products
are all-natural clean label products,
these chocolates will also appeal to
the growing number of American
36 SEPTEMBER 14 | PANADERIA
consumers who are on the lookout
for products without artifi cial preservatives.
The latest research from the
International Dairy-Deli-Bakery
Association reveals that the top
three attributes that consumers are
seeking in the bakery are no highfructose
corn syrup (HFCS), no artifi
cial ingredients, and no artifi cial
preservatives.
Further, shoppers are seeking
out more variety nowadays. Laurie
Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman
Group and author of the IDDBA's
new report, "Engaging the Evolving
Shopper: Serving the New American
Appetite," points out that key demographic
groups including Millennials
and Boomers are shopping at more
stores today in search of new customized
products. "The fresh perimeter
departments (including bakery) are
driving store preference and store
migration via the search for better
variety," Demeritt explains.
To produce your own unique
desserts and sweet snacks, Skromme
offers several creative ideas using
C'est Vivant chocolate decorations.
Add pink décor to red velvet
whoopie pies or decorate the top
of gourmet donuts with chocolate
pencil decorations.
"There is no need to crowd your
desserts," she suggests.
"Just add a nice clean fi nished
touch. These decorations are going
to save you time and consistency,
so anyone in your bakery can make
the exact same cake without having
to spend extra time training them."
SNACKING ON SWEETS
Chocolate is a favorite ingredient
in snack foods, and now chocolate is
being used in more cakes and pies,
making it more popular than ever.
According to new Mintel
research, 41% of consumers claim to
eat prepared cakes and pies as a snack
between meals, a higher percentage
than many other occasions, including
for a special occasion dessert (18%).
Store-baked cakes and pies are
driving the category with sales representing
more than half of the overall
category (52%), followed by shelfstable
cupcakes and brownies at 23%.
Nearly half of consumers who
eat prepared cakes and pies (46%)
view them as an indulgence and 42%
indicate they are open to trying new
flavors of these items. Some 61%
agree gourmet or premium products
are worth paying more for, including
72% of those aged 25-34.
"The snacking mindset has
permeated the dessert segment, as
people are mindful of what they
eat, but at the same time, want to
indulge and treat themselves as
well," comments Mintel food analyst
Amanda Topper. "Much as we've seen
with the high-end cupcake and donut
trends, consumers are willing to pay a
little bit extra for a small indulgence
made with quality ingredients. Since
almost two-thirds value taste over
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