Younger Consumers Drive Interest for Global Baked Goods

Younger consumers are once again proving to be a key force behind global food discovery, with an appetite for international baked goods driving interest across multiple items surveyed.

According to Datassential’s Global Baked Goods report, Gen Z’s appetite for internationally-inspired baked goods is stronger than that of older generations — 70% of Gen Z and 64% of Millennials are interested in trying global baked goods, compared to 55% of U.S. consumers overall. 

That enthusiasm carries through to specific items. More than half of Gen Z consumers (53%), statistically more than other generations, are interested in trying Mexican concha, a brioche-like sweet bread with a crunchy, sugar topping scored to look like a seashell. On the other hand, 51% of Gen Z and 48% of Millennials are interested in Japanese castella cake, a light and airy sponge cake known for its signature jiggle, with both generations statistically more likely to be interested in this item than Gen X and Boomers. Gen Z also leads interest in trying Spanish alfajores, which are shortbread cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche caramel. Forty-six percent of Gen Z, statistically more than Gen X and Boomers, are also interested in trying  torcetti that consist of yeasted Italian butter cookies twisted into loops and rolled in sugar.

Conchas stand out as the most-recognized global baked good surveyed with U.S. consumers for the report, with 20% saying they are familiar with them. On U.S. menus, conchas are up 24% over the past four years, and operators are expanding the format well beyond its traditional sweet roots by using conchas as carriers for savory fillings like BBQ meats and breakfast sandwiches.

Castella cake, however, may represent the baked goods category’s clearest viral opportunity. The Japanese sponge cake and its jigglier Taiwanese iteration have similarities to Japanese soufflé pancakes, which Datassential flagged as a viral trend in its January 2020 On the Menu report. In New York, the bakeshop Let’s Bounce stamps its logo onto castella cakes and posts videos of the dessert’s signature jiggle to drive social media attention. The cake can also serve as a blank canvas for on-trend flavors like ube, matcha, or pandan, as well as for fan favorite flavors such as cookies and cream or strawberry.

Alfajores tell a similar story of younger consumer interest and operator innovation. Gen Z (46%) leads interest in trying them and operators are already leveraging alfajores across categories. For example, Haraz Coffee House, a chain based in Dearborn, Mich., offers an Alfajor Latte that features dulce de leche and coconut, while Llama Restaurant in St. Augustine, Fla. offers Alfajores S’mores surrounded by wafer paper that’s set on fire tableside to up the experience ante. To increase the approachability of alfajor cookies, consider leaning into familiar flavors like snickerdoodle or chocolate.