Candied fruit and cabello de ángel are essential to baked goods

Professionals who dedicate their lives to selling cakes and pastries testify that many of their confections include candied fruit and cabello de ángel. The special nature and characteristics of each of these ingredients make them perfect for creating various sweet specialities for both patisseries and factory-baked cakes.

Candied fruit: adding extra flavour and colour to baked goods

Candied fruits are excellent added ingredients to cakes, especially our cubed fruit which is ideal to include in cake mixture before placing in the oven. These fruits add immense colour to sweet dishes, as well as a special flavour and texture that makes each bite a delight. Furthermore, we offer a range of sugar-free preserved fruit for those cake recipes that avoid sugar.

These are some of the most popular cakes in Spain that contain candied fruit

• Spiral Danish pastries with candied fruit (affectionately known as “caracolas” – snails – in Spanish) – served plain or filled with crème pâtissière. These pastries are among the most recognizable factory-made cakes that contain candied fruit. They are widely sold in bakeries, patisseries and supermarkets. These pastries can be made with or without fillings which are usually either of custard or chocolate. Although traditionally made with Danish pastry, sometimes they are made with puff pastry or dough containing flour, milk, eggs, butter, sugar and a raising agent.
• Cupcakes with candied fruit. For a slight variation of classic cupcakes or muffins, candied fruit can be added either within the cake mixture or as decoration. Candied fruit can be used as an ingredient in the preparation stage, spreading them out within the mixture before baking, or can be used as attractive decorations for the toppings.
• Fruit cake. Sometimes referred to as plum cake in Spain, this classic cake is a perennial favourite. Factory-made fruit cake is often sold in individual slices. The colourful use of candied fruit in the cake mixture provides a distinctive hallmark for these cakes.
• Panettone. An Italian type of sweet bread loaf that is synonymous with Christmas, this tall brioche is widely sold at cafes, supermarkets and bakeries. The original recipe is a mixture of brioche pastry, candied fruit and raisins. However many alternatives abound, including those made of chocolate, or those that include pine nuts and almonds in the mixture, among others.
• Brioche buns with glace fruits. These can be served as baby brioche cakes or as traditional buns and are made with candied fruit and almonds. Either format is perfect for a continental breakfast or afternoon tea.

Cabello de ángel: a traditional ingredient essential for baking

Cabello de ángel, made from spaghetti squash, is a classic ingredient used in cakes and pastries, as we mentioned in a previous post about those traditional Spanish sweet dishes that have cabello de angel as their secret ingredient. Traditional though it may be, cabello de ángel  continues to be one of the most widely used fillings for cakes, pastries and pies.

Irresistible pastries with cabello de ángel at their heart

• Pastry slice filled with cabello de ángel (Bayonesa de cabello de ángel) The bayonesa has to be one of the stars of Spanish pastries. A sandwich slice made with sweet puff pastry and filled with layers of  cabello de ángel, it is usually glazed with a sugar coating that gives the slice an attractive shine.
• Triangle shaped puff turnovers filled with cabello de ángel (Triángulo relleno de cabello de ángel). These pastries are sold in patisseries and are also available as factory-made individual portions. It is usually made with puff pastry and is filled with cabello de ángel. Some of the more elaborate recipes add chopped almonds, icing sugar or grated coconut to decorate.
• Braided strudel with cabello de ángel (Trenza de cabello de ángel) These layered pastry delights can be filled with custard, chocolate, dried fruits, or, in this case, with cabello de ángel. Using similar sweet puff pastry as the bayonesa and the triángulo cakes mentioned previously, these layered pastry sweets are often served with fruits and nuts or candied fruit.
• Ensaimada. This is a very popular pastry product that is typical of Mallorca. It is a yeast-based spiral cake that can be filled with a variety of flavours including: chocolate, crème pâtissière, cream, crème brûlée; however the traditional recipe calls for cabello de ángel.
• Ring-shaped cake with cabello de ángel  (Tortel de cabello). This doughnut-shaped puff pastry has a rich centre filled with cabello de ángel. It is usually sprinkled with icing sugar and sometimes includes almonds or fruit.

Jams, fruit piping gels and tinned fruit –  great allies when it comes to cake baking and pastries.

Apart from candied fruit and cabello de ángel, Lazaya offers many other complementary ingredients for factory-baked pastries and cakes: fruit in syrup, jams, gelatine and fruit piping gels.

Colour and shine can be added to confections by using fruit in syrup. These tinned fruits are widely used to decorate cakes, slices and pies, and can even be used as fillings. Our products are suitable for small independent patisseries or bakeries, as well as for factory-made production line sweets. This ingredient can add a lot of character to your creations, whether they are traditional or stand at the cutting edge of baking and cake making.

Fruit pastes and jams are prevalent in a variety of baked goods from cakes to cupcakes to pastries and slices. Piping gels and fruit pastes are perfect for adding shine and an irresistible appearance to our cakes, or as fillings for cakes and tarts. These can be plain or flavoured with tastes such as strawberry, vanilla, apple or lemon. If you want to find out more, please do not hesitate to contact us and we would be delighted to help you.