Cakes have been used in celebrations for centuries, and the modern cake is more of a focal point than ever before.
2024-09-16
Social media platforms, once just a space for sharing personal moments, have now become powerful drivers that shape our food choices and dining experiences. In the age of instant connection and curated feeds, food trends have taken on a life of their own. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become a breeding ground for viral bakery trends and have a major influence on new product innovation across bakeries, cafes and retail.
Here are three viral cake trends from 2024 to inspire your next sweet bake creation:
Burn Away Cakes
The new trending cake is a cake created using edible images where the top layer of the cake is set-alight to reveal another edible image underneath with dramatic effect when it ‘burns away’. The craze has been used for gender reveals, milestone birthdays and popping the question along with so many other unique and creative themes!
Check out this valentine ‘burn away cake’ from Cake Girl London.
Heart Shaped Lambeth Cakes
Lambeth, or vintage cakes, are cakes with garlands upon garlands of intricately piped royal icing or buttercream. It’s not a new trend per-se as they’ve been around for a while now, but its latest format is heart-shaped. The technique of over-piping, which is a term used to describe the use of two or more buttercream layers piped on top of one another, has been in use for many centuries. This method was first popularized in the 1930s thanks to Joseph Lambeth’s book Lambeth Method of Cake Decoration and Practical Pastries. They’re ideal for small intimate weddings and anniversaries. Piped messages on top give the pretty cake a quirky personal twist.
Check out this eye-catching heart shaped Lambeth cake from Life of Pie in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Bento Cupcake Boxes
Super simple but very effective, this handy trick helps transform an ordinary cupcake box into something even more special. “Bento” is a Japanese word that refers to a lunch box. This trend first started with the Bento cake back in 2022. This cake is a small in size, approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter and weigh around 250 to 300 grams, making them sufficient for two people. Now we are seeing the Bento cake with matching cupcakes, presented side by side for an indulgent (and instagrammable) offering.
Check out this Bento cupcake box from Baked by SG in Dublin, Ireland.
We hope these 2024 cake trends have got you feeling inspired. Our experts continue to track the online world for new trends and viral sweet bakes to keep our customers up to date on the ever-changing sweet bakery landscape. For more insights and commentary from our experts, follow this link:
