bake - July 2018 - 30

n
Fuwith fall creations

his autumn, bakeries should prepare to break some rules for
exciting and fresh twists on seasonal desserts. The newest
trends appeal to customers both young and old - everyone is
welcome to the party with a mixture of styles, unexpected colors
and unusual influences. Classic holiday icons get a modern
makeover influenced by social media, and favorite treats are bright
and Instagram-worthy. The happy colors of summer find their place
in fall foods this year, livening up the autumn palette. Sweets are
made for sharing, so coordinated, mix-and-match desserts are
growing in popularity.
Back to School is a great opportunity for dessert sales, particularly when words of encouragement or silly school puns are included
on the treat. Dessert makers should look to the city for trend inspiration - unexpected urban textures (like cement) mixed with flashy
graffiti patterns and fast food icons make for treats that are too cool
for school. "Hand-drawn" doodles and splashes of color celebrate
the creative artist in everyone. Think bite-sized and hand-held treats
that are easy to slip into a lunch box or share in a classroom.
Cute is the new creepy for Halloween sweets. Desserts are a
big part of this treat-focused holiday and become popular icons
alongside the expected ghosts and jack-o-lanterns. For a twist, the
upcoming "Creep it Cute" trend turns pumpkins bright pink and

HIGHLIGHTING

unicorn horns overtake devil horns. Social media and Snapchat
filters are a big influence for Halloween desserts, and even the popular pineapple is a welcome surprise for this fall holiday. Add a little
sparkle to your Halloween orange and black this year with shimmer
colors and brights, especially pink, lime green and purple.
Thanksgiving desserts get a Bohemian color palette. Customers
are increasingly seeking out desserts with natural food colors,
including Boho warm magentas and cool turquoises that add a modern flair to traditional fall oranges and browns. Stylized rustic icons
like flowers, leaves and hand-written fonts appear on cakes with a
"home-made" feel. Friends are increasingly included when it comes
to Thanksgiving celebrations prompting the trend "friendsgiving,"
which is a more casual, diverse and personalized gathering among
friends. Shareable large desserts are accompanied with small treats
personalized for each guest in a variety of flavors, decorations or
even messaging.
Lucks (lucks.com) helps bakeries easily achieve these on-trend
looks for fall with our line of edible decorations and professional
grade food color. We study the trends so you don't have to, and
recently launched some exciting new products to help you plan for
market-ready fall 2018 desserts. Lucks decorations can be easily
added in-store or on a high-volume production line.

the value

The road to higher profitability relies on creating new levels of price points that depend more on perceived value than price. If a consumer considers a $3 cupcake to be a valued treat, then the threshold
has been achieved.
"Creating new price points in categories of products has been good for all of us," says Page Busken
of the iconic Busken Bakery in Cincinnati, now in its 90th year. "Now you can sell a cupcake for $2 or
more. We like that." Brian Busken, vice president of Busken Bakery, points out that millennials are
opening more doors for creative expression at cake shops. "If you make something on-trend and adorable," he says, "there is not as much price sensitivity."
Examples include headline-grabbing creations like the Atomic Cake, a popular cake that originated
on the South Side of Chicago. Longtime family owned retailer Weber's Bakery makes a version they
call a banana split torte. Tom Major, president of Orland Park Bakery, explains their version of the
Atomic Cake: "It is made from yellow cake on the bottom, topped with Bavarian cream, bananas and
whipped cream, and then a layer of banana cake with strawberries and whipped cream and topped
with chocolate cake and fudge and topped with whipped cream. The Atomic Cake is legendary."

Cute is the new
creepy for cakes
and other sweets
for Halloween.
Desserts are a big
part of this treatfocused holiday.

Lucks

2018

THE FALL ISSUE

http://www.lucks.com

bake - July 2018

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