Perfect Endings - Gordon Food Service

Cakes
Cakes are the go-to goodies for celebrating special occasions, of
course—but they’re also a popular everyday after-dinner treat. From
ready-to-customize pound cakes to ready-to-dazzle red velvet cakes,
from simple sheet cakes to elaborate layer cakes, we have solutions to
enhance your flexibility, creativity, and image.
Cake is the perfect way to add chocolate to the dessert menu.
In fact, the top cake flavor overall is chocolate, with two-thirds of all
restaurants offering at least one cake with chocolate flavoring.
The second-most-popular cake that appeals to patrons is carrot cake,
found on about one-fourth of restaurant dessert menus.
Notably, yellow, vanilla, and plain cakes have relatively low
penetration. These types of cake flavors are typically the foundation
or building block for a more decadent build that includes sauces
and drizzles.
The comfort food trend affects cakes as well—classics, such as red
velvet, pumpkin, cinnamon, banana, and cream cheese, are the
top-growing cake flavor profiles.
More upscale and indulgent chocolates are impacting the cake
dessert category. White chocolate mousse, flourless chocolate,
lava cake, dark chocolate, ganache, and milk chocolate are the
top-growing cake flavors.
In response to consumers’ interest in coffee, mocha, and espresso,
as well as liqueur flavors (Grand Marnier), are growing.
Sara Lee contributed consumer statistics and other data for this guide.