In a year that’s already dished up innovation in nearly every corner of the bakery sector, cakes and tarts continue to lead the charge in indulgence and creativity. Whether it’s a celebration cake that doubles as a DIY experience, a tart range crafted for countryside delis, or a cupcake brand evolving into a lifestyle icon, this year’s launches show how bakeries are thinking outside the box – literally and figuratively.
As health and sustainability reshape consumer priorities, the cake aisle is responding with smarter ingredients, playful packaging and next-level flavour experimentation. Nostalgic sweets are being reimagined as cakes; desserts are now doubling as décor; and new takes on cocoa are proving that indulgence doesn’t have to come at a cost to the planet.
We slice into seven standout product stories redefining what cakes, tarts and sweet baked goods can be in 2025.
Dofreeze’s Flair Pistachio Kunafa Cake Bar
The Dubai-based innovator behind multiple bakery brands recently took home the coveted Best New Product Launch (Grocery) title at the 7-Eleven Singapore Favourite Brands Awards 2025. The award was given to its Flair Pistachio Kunafa Dubai Chocolate Cake Bar, a luxurious twist on Middle Eastern heritage that has resonated far beyond the UAE.
Distributed via Deli X-Press, the award-winning cake bar is a clever hybrid of cultures – layering the crisp, buttery textures of traditional kunafa with the richness of chocolate and the nutty depth of pistachio. The single-serve bar format also suits today’s grab-and-go lifestyle, offering a global flavour experience in a convenient package.
“This milestone is a clear proof that innovation, when executed with passion and precision, can go a very long way,” said Aamer Fayyaz, CEO of Dofreeze. The recognition not only celebrates a specific product but reinforces Dofreeze’s mission to lead the snacking category with shelf-stable, globally inspired bakery items that don’t compromise on quality.
Just Desserts Yorkshire’s Café-Style Tarts
The UK artisan bakery is capitalising on demand for restaurant-style desserts at home with the launch of a new range of seven individually packaged tarts. Designed for retailers, farm shops, delis and food halls, the line includes beloved classics such as Treacle Tart, Bakewell Tart, Cornflake Tart and Coconut Tart, alongside fruit-forward options like Pear & Almond Frangipane, Raspberry Frangipane and Black Cherry Frangipane.
Each tart comes portioned and packed in sleek retail-ready packaging, with an RRP of £3.99 per unit (cases of nine). This format allows independent and premium retailers to offer consumers a taste of patisserie-style indulgence without needing in-house baking capabilities.
“We’re thrilled to unveil our new tart range, developed in response to customer demand for a take-home version of our popular menu desserts,” said GM Kate Williams. “Our new individually packaged tarts not only meet this need but also offer retailers an easy and appealing way to expand their chilled dessert offering.”
Squashies Celebration Cake
Finsbury Food Group has partnered with iconic confectionery brand Swizzels to launch the UK’s first official Squashies Drumstick Celebration Cake - a Raspberry & Milk Flavour treat available in Tesco stores across the UK.
Blending cake and candy into one interactive product, the launch includes a full-size celebration cake paired with a mini bag of Drumstick Squashies sweets, allowing consumers to decorate the cake at home. Aimed at the teen and young adult demographic, the cake features a soft sponge base and frosting that replicates the tangy-sweet flavour of the original candy.
Priced at £14.00, the Squashies cake is the first in a planned series of sweet mashups from the Finsbury x Swizzels partnership, which aims to tap into Britain’s appetite for fun, flavour-forward, and nostalgic baked goods.
Sprinkles turns 20 with Y2K vibes
The US cupcake brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a slew of new offerings and a nod to its early-2000s roots. Known for launching the first-ever Cupcake ATM and sparking a national cupcake craze, the brand is now expanding beyond its classic format with a more varied and flexible menu.
This summer, Sprinkles introduced new bite-sized treats and a personal-sized layer cake available in two sizes - a 6” four-layer version (serves 6-8) and an 8” three-layer version (serves 10-12) – each topped with vanilla buttercream and a cheerful burst of rainbow sprinkles. With a required one-day lead time for ordering, the cakes are designed for convenient celebration without compromising on quality or joy.
The anniversary celebration also includes limited edition throwbacks like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Cookies + Cream cupcakes, plus the addition of new fan-favourites such as the Vietnamese Coffee Cupcake. With expansions into national shipping, franchising, and even lifestyle products, Sprinkles is evolving into much more than a cupcake bakery.
Muntons’ MaltiChoc
As cocoa prices remain elevated, Muntons has expanded its MaltiChoc range – a line of malt-based cocoa replacers offering both cost efficiency and carbon savings. The latest addition, MaltiChoc R500, has been developed specifically for dairy-based applications, complementing the existing D1000 variant used widely in bakery products such as cakes, brownies and biscuits.
These innovations couldn’t come at a better time. MaltiChoc not only delivers an authentic cocoa-like taste, but also offers a 96% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional cocoa, making it a sustainable choice for manufacturers seeking to stabilise costs and reduce emissions.
“MaltiChoc has consistently outperformed competitor cocoa replacers in all areas and across multiple applications during testing,” said Bryn Williams, chief commercial officer at Muntons. “With MaltiChoc, customers can benefit from a significantly lower and more stable cost compared to cocoa. Plus, its natural ingredient declaration is a strong advantage for on-pack appeal.”
As Muntons continues to scale production across its low-carbon maltings in the UK, it positions MaltiChoc as both a practical and principled alternative for today’s volatile ingredient landscape.
OGGS launches 5 new cakes
The UK’s leading plant-based bakery brand unveiled a major brand refresh last month with a vibrant new identity and five new products hitting major supermarket shelves. Available at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Ocado, the new cake lineup includes Zesty Lemon Cakes, Raspberry Ripple Cupcakes, Mega Birthday Cupcakes, an Afternoon Tea Selection and for the first time, two Luxury Celebration Cakes.
The relaunch follows extensive consumer feedback and is part of OGGS’ mission to make ethical baking mainstream. With 100% recycled packaging and recipes that swap out butter and eggs for plant-based alternatives like aquafaba, OGGS is catering to a flexitarian audience, with over 68% of its customers identifying as non-vegan.
“We’ve always believed that doing good shouldn’t mean compromising on taste or quality,” said founder and CEO Hannah Carter. “Listening to our incredible customers has been at the heart of this journey, and we’re so proud to unveil products that not only taste amazing but are kind to the planet, too.”
Mrs Crimble’s Lemon Macaroons
Mrs Crimble’s has launched a citrusy twist on its famous macaroons with the introduction of Lemon Macaroons. The flavour pairs zesty lemon with sweet coconut, tapping into growing consumer appetite for citrus flavours – now ranked the third most popular cake flavour in the UK.
With an RRP of £1.50, the macaroons are available in Co-Op stores nationwide. “We crafted our latest product with our loyal consumers in mind, having asked our community via social media what flavour they most wanted to see,” said Caroline Mitchell, innovation controller at brand owner Ecotone UK.
This latest addition joins a broader lineup of gluten-free Big Macaroons, including Coconut, Big Choc, Caramel and vegan options. It’s another step in Mrs Crimble’s longstanding mission to prove that gluten-free doesn’t mean taste-free – just tasty, inclusive and full of heart.
