Dr Oetker Shake It mixes
Launching: August 2010
Dr Oetker is hoping to replicate the success of its ready-mixed Shake It pancake batters with two new cake mixes Fairy Cake and Chocolate Fairy Cake. The simplicity of the pancake batters have made them a massive hit, according to Dr Oetker ambient marketing director Gill Davies, as to prepare the mix consumers simply have to pour milk into the mix bottle, shake it and pour the mixture directly into the pan.

The new mixes (rsp: £1.79) will initially be stocked by Sainsbury's and will offer "absolute beginners, kids and time-poor bakers a very easy, quick way to bake," says Davies.

McDougalls Premium Crumble Mixes
Launching: August 2010
People tend to think of home baking products as sweet but Premier Foods hopes to change that with a savoury crumble that hits Sainsbury's next month (rsp: 79p).

The company says the crumbles, which come in two savoury flavours oaty cheese & chive, and mozzarella, basil & black pepper are ideal toppings for pasta bakes or cauliflower cheese. There is also a sweet variant. It hopes the products will not just be stocked in home baking.

"We will start on the home baking aisle but the natural place would be cooking sauces," says home baking commercial controller Mary Young.

Toy Story cookie mix
Launched: May 2010
Following the success of its previous Disney-licensed products, Fiddes Payne has launched a Toy Story Cookie Mix. The mix (rsp: £1.79) uses only natural ingredients, and includes transfers of the Toy Story characters.

"With the growth of home baking and the release of Toy Story 3, this is an ideal time to launch our new Toy Story franchise," says managing director Iain Macpherson.

The mix went into smaller retailers in May and supermarkets in July, to coincide with the film. Fiddes Payne has also launched a range of character candles, including Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh and Disney Princess versions.

Bourbon Vanilla Paste
Launched: early 2010
Following predictions that home bakers will trade up to premium items, a slew of new products have hit the market. These include Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, which launched earlier this year in the UK (rsp: £5.99), and is said to provide a more intense vanilla flavour than vanilla essence.

Nielsen-Massey says it has "done the hard work" for bakers who want the flavour and appearance of real vanilla but don't want to carry out the fiddly job of extracting vanilla from the pod. The company has already agreed listings in specialist independents such as Tree of Life and Suma.

Focus On Home Baking