Customers’ Perceptions on Cake Decoration Techniques in Selected Bakeries in Fako and Meme Divisions
Department: Tourism and Hospitality Management
No of Pages: 62
Project Code: THM3
References: Yes
Cost: 5,000XAF Cameroonian
: $15 for International students
ABSTRACT
Rapid
growth and changing eating habits of people, have made cakes to gain
popularity. There has been a massive increase in cake decoration techniques
from the 19th to the 21st Century.
While
this evolution has made it possible to multiply designs and hence variety of
cakes, research in what decoration techniques consumers really need is lacking,
and indeed varies from person to person.
The
study had as main objective to evaluate customers’ perception of different cake
decoration techniques. The study was based on a survey of 67 respondents made
of consumers of cakes, and 4 bakery operators. 67 questionnaires were
administered to collect the required data for the study.
Data
were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test of association.
Independent Samples Kruskal-Wallis test at 5% significance level was conducted
to test the hypothesis and findings were presented using frequency tables with
percentages.
Findings
from the study showed i) most of the respondents in Fako and Meme Division eat
cake, and these cake consumers buy cake occasionally, and mostly from bakeries,
ii) consumers preference of various cake flavor and decoration are centered
around chocolate, vanilla and butter cream flavors, while fondant and butter
cream decoration techniques are most desirable by consumers,
iii)
most consumers do not face challenges in preserving variously decorated cakes,
however, mostly preserve in refrigerators, and they can preserve decorated
cakes for as long as possible.
However,
bakery operators do face challenges like expensive nature of some decorated
cakes, ingredients that melts quickly, take long time to dry, and limited
variety of molds, and lastly
iv)
no significant association was observed between customers’ cake eating habit,
preference of cake flavor, cake decoration technique, reason for cake
decoration choice, cake preservation method, cake preservation challenges,
across locations.
However,
there is a significant association that exists between customers choice of cake
shape, customers duration of cake decoration preservation across locations.
The
study concluded that fondant and butter cream decoration techniques are among
the best techniques in the 21 century that have assisted in revolutionizing the
way cakes are presented, making them look good, cheap and affordable, and easy
to preserve to cut cost.
The
study recommends that bakeries, hotels, and individuals who make cake for
commercial purpose should pay keen attention to things such as look and
decoration, taste, ease in preservation of cakes.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Cake
is baked batter made from flour, sugar, salt, baking ingredients, shortening,
milk, eggs, and certain additives aroma. The Oxford English Dictionary traces
the English word “cake” back to the 13th century. It is a derivation of 'kaka',
an Old Norse word.
According
to Merriam Webster (2008) cake is a sweet baked food made from a dough or thick
batter usually containing colour, sugar, eggs and raising agent such as baking
powder. The history of cake dates to ancient times.
The
food historians noted that the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show
evidence of advanced baking skills. The first cakes were very different from
what we eat today. They were more bread-like and sweetened with honey with nuts
and dried fruits often added it.
Ancient
breads and cakes were sometimes used in religious ceremonies. These were
purposely fashioned into specific shapes, according to the observance. Shapes
generally symbolize the cyclical nature of life and people used them as
offerings to the gods and spirits who exercised their powers at particular
times of the year.
The
Chinese made cakes at harvest time to honor their moon goddess (Heng, 1999).
They recognized that the moon played a crucial role in the seasonal cycle, so
they made round cakes shaped like the moon to reward the lunar goddess.
The
ancient Celts baked and ate Beltane cakes at the Beltane festival where the
cakes were rolled down a hill to imitate solar movement in the hope it would
ensure the continued motion of the sun. This activity also served as a form of
divination:
If
the cake broke when it reached the bottom of the hill, the Celts believed that
whoever rolled it would die within a year's time; but if the cake remained
intact, they believed that person would reap a year's good fortune (Heng, 1999).
As
cakes where used for several reasons during ancient times, the ingredients used
during that time were also symbolic to the people. Agricultural farmers around
the globe made offerings of cakes prepared from the grains and fruits that
arose from the soil. The types of ingredients used to make these cakes
contributed to their symbolism (Tamra, 2000).
The
cake today is not the same as it was in the 17th century. As the years
progressed bakers and chefs alike began changing the way a cake was made. The
recipe of a simple vanilla cake became the building block for other types of
cakes.
This
basic cake recipe is like the trunk and roots of a tree while the other flavors
and types of cake are the branches and the leaves (Toba, 2006). Changes have
not only been made to the recipe of a cake but the use of it. Nowadays, cakes
are used to celebrate birthdays, weddings, amongst others with improved forms
of designs affiliated per the celebration.
There
are now varieties of cake named according to the mode of preparation and the
ingredients used; sponge cake, butter cake, chiffon cake, and genoise cake. Cake
decorating is one of those often ignored culinary arts and has become a form of
unique artistry, and ranges from a single-layer cake, decorated simply, to a
multi-layered 3-dimensional creation that is decorated with edible ribbons made
of sugar.
Despite
being one of the newer culinary arts, cake decorating has evolved remarkably in
such a short amount of time. From simple decorative patterns in the 19th century,
modern-day cakes can now stand ten feet tall, resemble animals, people,
characters, and objects and even feature mechanics.
However,
even though there are better equipment than most of our ancestors, we still
must deal with many first world problems. According to Azrain (2010),
innovations that meet market and consumer’s expectations have a high
probability of success.
Therefore,
the consumers’ knowledge and preferences are central in determining the success
of a product (Linneman et al., 2006). Therefore, it is crucial to understand
the consumers’ perceptions and preferences for cake decoration techniques in
bakeries.
1.2 Problem Statement
There
has been a massive increase in cake decoration techniques from 19th to
21st century. While this evolution has
made it possible to multiply designs and hence variety of cakes, research in
what decoration techniques customers really need is lacking, and indeed varies
from person to person.
Therefore,
in urban locations in Cameroon where cake consumption is on the rise, the is
need for knowledge on customer perception to keep pace, and for better
marketing. At present, this knowledge is weak at best.
1.2.1 Research Questions
The
following research questions were put forward to guide the study;
- What are the typical cake-buying habits of cake consumers in Fako Division?
- What are customers’ perceptions on common flavoring and decoration technique?
- What are the challenges faced in preserving variously decorated cakes?
1.3 Research Objectives
1.3.1 Main Objective
The
main objective was to evaluate customer’s perception of different cake
decoration techniques.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
Specific
objectives include the following:
- To determine cake-buying habits of cake consumers in Fako Division.
- To determine customers’ preferences of various cake flavorings and decoration technique.
- To assess challenges faced in preserving variously decorated cakes.
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