Freshly-Made Pies And Cakes Pique America’s Taste Buds

Retail sales of prepared cakes and pies in the U.S. are on the rise – up 24 percent over the last five years to $11.2 billion – but that robust trend does not include frozen varieties. Frozen and refrigerated cake and pie sales dropped 2.4 percent in the same period, the only segment to do so, according to Mintel. The bigger trend is America’s love affair with pies and cakes, especially freshly-made ones, which are increasingly viewed as indulgent between-meals snacks. Leading the retail sales segment are in-store baked cakes and pies (52 percent), followed by shelf-stable cupcakes and brownies (23 percent). “The snacking mindset has permeated the dessert segment,” a Mintel analyst says, as long as the snacks are fresh and made with high-quality ingredients.