Cup Cake Business Continues To Thrive In American Cities

Chef Babcock of the International Culinary School said he thinks the cupcake business model will continue to grow because it's as “charming to children as it is to adults,” and the market is so competitive now that it will “thrive upon itself.” He pointed out that creativity in appearance is key; however, bakers can’t scrimp on quality of ingredients and expect to retain customers.




“Presentation has to be equal to the flavor,” Babcock said. “We’d rather have something that tastes really great rather than how it looks, but a good combination of how it looks and tastes will position it perfectly.”

Babcock said the market for commercial bakery foods is growing because families are not baking at home as they used to, and the customer’s desire to consume homemade desserts and willingness to pay for quality is driving prices higher.

He noted that basic baking ingredients, such as flour, eggs and sugar, are cheap, so it’s the formulation of ingredients to create a tasty product that adds the value. However, some bakeries sacrifice freshness and flavor for convenience by freezing their goods, which results in a product that's overpriced, though consumers may not realize it, Babcock said.

Source

Read more

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=164208