From millennial hipster bakeries in London dishing up litchi flower croissants to Parisian boulangeries serving up signature ‘le crookie’ to Gen Z patrons, baking is on the rise, having found a new home as an artisanal craft among young consumers. At the heart of it all is the humble egg, which continues to form the backbone of even the most adventurous new cakes and bakes.
Although these young foodies are driving the trend, research shows there’s actually an increased appetite for goods made according to traditional baking methods across a wide demographic of consumers. To give you an idea, the artisan bakery market was valued at $33.7 billion in 2023 and was expected to grow to $47.9 billion by 2030.
Young bakers are constantly raising the bar, developing fresh recipes and novel ways of using fundamental ingredients like eggs to produce mouthwatering pastries, cakes, and bite-sized desserts. Petit fours, cream cakes, scones, and vanilla sponges are all back on the menu as high tea makes a comeback the world over.
The new happy hour
Back in 2022, Pinterest declared that high tea was the new happy hour, as searches for ‘tea party aesthetic’ and ‘baking recipes’ began to soar on the platform. Last year alone, searches for ‘afternoon tea party ideas’ increased by 165%.
Topping the list of tea party themes in 2025 is the traditional high-society English tea party, Bridgerton style. This menu includes favourites such as truffled egg salad and baked egg custard treats. The reason that eggs continue to dominate in bakers’ kitchens is that they’re more than just a pretty face when it comes to baked goods; they play a vital role in pulling the whole lot together!
Renowned pastry chef Cédric Grolet says eggs serve multiple purposes. They act as emulsifiers, helping to combine fats and liquids smoothly, and contribute to the structure of the baked item. He also frequently uses egg wash, a mixture of beaten eggs brushed onto pastries before baking to achieve a golden-brown crust.
Award-winning French pastry chef Dominique Ansel, best known for his invention of the Cronut (a croissant-donut hybrid made with eggs), is a huge fan of baking with eggs because of their incredible versatility.
He notes that whole eggs are binders, helping to hold ingredients together and increase the viscosity of batters and doughs, while egg yolks add richness and flavour, and can be incorporated to provide structure and moisture. Whipped egg whites, he says, are the only way to obtain a light and airy result.
In his famous Buche de Noël, he uses both whipped egg whites and yolks, demonstrating how different parts of the egg can be used to create different textures.
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Coffee Caramel Baked Custard
- Serves 8-10
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 45 minutes
- Cost per recipe: Serves 8-10 for under R120
Ingredients:
- 180 ml (¾ cup) sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water
- 5 eggs
- 385 g tin of caramel condensed milk
- 380 g tin evaporated milk
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) strong brewed coffee
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place a 20 cm bundt pan in a deep roasting tray.
- Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring for about 2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, swirling the pan and peeking occasionally until a golden caramel forms.
- Immediately pour the caramel into the bundt pan. Tilt and turn to spread the caramel out to the edges of the pan. Set aside to harden.
- Beat together the eggs and caramel condensed milk. Add the evaporated milk and coffee. Strain through a sieve over the hardened caramel.
- Fill the roasting tray with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bundt pan.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until the sides are set and the center has a slight wobble.
- Remove the cake tin from the roasting tray and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Gently press around the top edge to loosen. Place a serving dish on top and flip it over.
TIPS:
- Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- If chilled, dip the tin in hot water to warm the caramel before inverting it onto a plate.
