Top Baking Trends of 2020: Cakes

National Cake Day is today, Nov. 26, so we’re continuing our baking trend series with some of the hottest cake trends of the year.  

Trend No. 1: Blissful Indulgence and Personalization

At the beginning of 2020, Dawn Foods predicted that classic desserts with a twist (s’mores and banana split flavors) would trend, along with personalization being key. Cakes that screamed “just for me” would be even more important throughout the year, as the two fork, one slice concept was scrapped due to the pandemic. With so many events being canceled in 2020, the celebratory culinary focus of birthdays and weddings — the cake — served to be even more special in the personalization category. Taking the “them” out of “let them eat cake,” personalization thrived in terms of smaller bites, cake pops, cupcakes and individually sliced options. 

Trend No. 2: Healthful and Vegan Options
Dairy-free, reduced sugar, non-GMO, clean and vegan were all buzzwords that fit into the cake world in 2020. In fact, chocolate and cocoa manufacturer Barry Callebaut reported that 28% of North American millennials reported to seek out vegan cakes and pastries compared to 24% of the total population. Nutritious cakes without sacrificing flavor were a theme throughout the year, as evidenced by this top 15 Outstanding Vegan Cakes listed by OneGreenPlanet.org, which showcase other hot trends of the year. Ombre; unique flavors like mint chocolate chip, peanut butter fudge and pina colada; cheesecake; and crepe cake round out the vegan options.

Trend No. 3: Taste the Rainbow (Cake)
Earlier this year we highlighted a huge trend in 2020, the Fault Line Cake. Frosted with buttercream, which also made a comeback this year, Fault Line Cake was predicted by The Cake Decorating Company to be a “major player” in 2020, and was it ever! Heading toward the end of the year, the LloydPans innovation team saw more exposed colors and rainbows shining through the exposed center, like this Rainbow Fault Line Cake by cake designer Sheri Wilson.

If Fault Line isn’t your bake, this Rainbow Cake from Sugar and Sparrow Co.’s Whitney DePaoli is a decorator’s dream, creating the Roy G. Biv effect with hand painted flowers using a small icing spatula. 

No matter what cake trend you’re trying through 2020 and beyond, make sure you have the best cake pans to keep your best bakes in tip top shape.