July 14, 2023 
If you have spent any amount of time online or have visited London, you will certainly have come across the city’s latest obsession, which is spreading to other nations. Pioneered by Le Deli Robuchon, the croissant cube stands out from traditional pastries and offers a whole host of creative possibilities for bakers.
Light, flaky and golden brown, the iconic croissant is a legend among French pastries and arguably very hard to improve on, especially because you can already find them filled with delicious flavours. But, the high-end deli has found a way to reimagine the product and having already attracted well over 2 million views and counting, on Tik Tok, it inspired us to experiment with this new and curious creation with our own range of ingredients across the Group.
The adventurous consumer
But, let’s first explore why is it proving so popular? Accordingly to Innova, many consumers are adventurous, with 3 in 4 open to trying new flavours1. Fuelled also by demand from consumers for amplified experiences, there is increasing expectation to deliver innovation in more ways, and in this instance getting creative with the trend for geometric shapes.
There is something quite refreshing about geometry, the trend which continues in sweet goods, taking on any shape – square, circle, triangle and rock. The croissant cube showcases the power of shape, attracting interest from consumers seeking something different.
Where else to try croissant cubes across the world
📍 232 Cakery, Tauranga, New Zealand: 232 is a bakery with two locations in Tauranga, a harborside city on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It calls its signature pastry a “cube danish” — a danish being a laminated pastry that originated in Vienna just like the original croissant — but in box-shape it looks just like a croissant cube. Where: Bethlehem Town Centre & Tauranga Crossing, New Zealand
📍 Andersen & Maillard, Copenhagen, Denmark: Andersen & Maillard is a cafe and bakery with two outposts in Copenhagen. The Nørrebrogade location is a coffee shop and roastery while the Nordhavn location is an artisan bakery that serves croissant cube. Where: Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København, Denmark
📍 Little Pebbles, Toronto, Canada: Between Forêt Noire and Little Pebbles, Canadians have easy access to croissant cubes on both coasts. This Japanese-leaning artisanal bakery and cafe is located in Toronto’s bohemian Kensington Market neighborhood. Where: 160 Baldwin St #8, Toronto, ON M5T 3K7, Canada
📍 Forêt Noire, Vancouver, Canada: Forêt Noire specializes in all manner of sweets, including several unique and hybridized pastries like the croissant cube and the cruffin, or croissant muffin. The cafe is currently located on West Broadway with a second location on Robson Street planning to open soon. Where: 236 West Broadway, Vancouver V5Y 1P6, Canada
The Croissant
The perfect croissant cube begins with ingredients which produce a deliciously flaky texture and incredible visual appearance. Rollex® Gold is an all-purpose, high viscosity, low melt point, emulsified pastry fat, which has the plasticity and strength to build up the finely laminated structure of a pastry.
Coupled with the powdered Clean Label Danish Improver, bakers can produce excellent croissant cubes, ready to be creatively finished.
The Topping
The topping provides great opportunity to add a splash of colour, as consumers eat with their eyes. Bakels easy to use Chockex Compound Coating is a versatile alternative to chocolate. Millionaires Caramel, produced in specialist manufacturing facilities in both the UK and Australia but available all over the world, also delivers a truly indulgent finish.
Why not also give your new cube creations a shine with our array of Glazes, or add texture with Speculoos Crumbles.
The Filling
Sometimes it’s what is inside that counts and Bakels are here to deliver on that. A whole host of whole fruit fillings, produced in Belgium and available across the world, add a burst of fruity texture, not to mention enhancing the visual appeal further! Truffles/Ganache add a super indulgent mouth feel too.
The surprise of the filling is the final enjoyment and what will keep customers coming back for more.
Croissant Cube Recipe
- Add group 1 ingredients into a spiral mixing bowl.
- Mix for 2 minutes on slow speed and 5 minutes on fast speed.
- Flatten the dough into rectangular shape and place it in the freezer to cool 15 minutes.
- Laminate the Rollex Gold (group 2) to soften it to dough consistency.
- Place the Rollex Gold in the middle of the dough to enclose it.
- Using a rolling pin or a pastry break, roll the dough out until 8mm in thickness, then fold it and half turn.
- Repeat this process three times and leave the dough to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- For a cube tin size of 80 x 80mm, roll the dough down to approx. 25mm (dough weight 120g) and cut into 80mm square shape.
- Grease the cube tin using Sprink, then place the dough into the bottom.
- Prove for approx. 45-60 minutes at 38°C, 75% relative humidity, or until three-quarters of the tin height.
- Bake in a rack oven at 200°C for approx. 25 minutes.
- Remove from the tins and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
- To finish, get creative with some of the toppings and fillings discussed above.
Get in touch for advice according to your location
Data: (1) Innova Flavour Survey 2021, Innova Lifestyle & Attitudes Survey 2021
