1 week Ago By [email protected] (Neil Shaw)
Colomba cake is set to be a big trend this Easter, according to new data from online supermarket Ocado which found a significant spike in demand for the Italian Easter bake. Searches for ‘colomba cake’ on Ocado.com have soared 270% in the last month.
This isn’t the first time Italian bakery staples have taken centre stage during seasonal events - in recent years both panettone and pandoro have become wildly popular in Britain at Christmas . Google trends data also revealed ‘panettone’ searches soared 53% higher than ‘Fruit cake’ during last December in the UK. Ocado has expanded its range of colomba cakes by 300% this year.
Rachel Glaysher, Buyer for Sweet Bakery at Ocado Retail, describes colomba cake as “similar in texture to panettone, but lighter, with lovely citrusy notes from candied peel and those crunchy almonds. The colomba is a great alternative to the traditional British simnel fruitcake for Easter, as it’s rich and buttery but not too sweet, making it just as perfect for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or post-dinner treat.” She added: “While simnel cake is still popular with customers, with site searches for ‘colomba’ +53% higher this year, it’s clear that many are interested in exploring other options too and we predict this trend will continue to grow, given the popularity of panetonne at Christmas.
We want our customers to have the most sought-after special occasion treats, and that’s why we’ve expanded our selection of colomba cakes.”.
