Cloud Dancer: A Soft New Dawn for Bakery and Dessert Innovation in 2026

December 05, 2025
Every year, a single colour captures the collective imagination. But 2026 feels different with Cloud Dancer named as the Colour of the Year by Pantone. A delicate, natural white that feels like the quiet pause before daybreak. A new aesthetic direction is emerging across design, fashion, and food. Soft, effortless, and quietly self-assured, Cloud Dancer is more than a colour. It is a mood. A sense of calm. A visual expression of clarity and purity. And in the world of ice cream, bakery, chocolate, and desserts, where sensory experience defines consumer appeal, this serene shade offers a powerful invitation: to create with intention and refined simplicity.

At OV, we develop premium confectionery ingredients and decorations for ice cream, bakery, chocolate, and dessert manufacturers worldwide. At the same time, we bring this same creativity and quality into the retail and home baking world, inspiring passionate bakers and decorators across the globe. Cloud Dancer speaks directly to this dual role, where industrial performance meets creative expression and reliable functionality meets emotional design. 

As brands, manufacturers, and QSR innovators shape their 2026 portfolios, Cloud Dancer emerges as a key visual cue reflecting what consumers increasingly seek: purity, trust, refinement, and a return to thoughtful indulgence. 

A Colour That Reflects Craftsmanship 

Cloud Dancer carries a quiet strength. In bakery and dessert innovation, white is never just white. It is gloss, opacity, softness, structure and subtle shine. It is the visual language of quality and precision. Cloud Dancer offers a modern reinterpretation of this language: gentler, more natural, and almost weightless. 

Where recent years leaned towards bold and expressive tones, 2026 signals:

A return to essentials.

To clean composition.

To the beauty of pared-back design.

It is a reminder that impactful products do not always need to shout. Some captivate through restraint. 

The Cloud Dancer Edit: OV Ingredients That Bring this 2026 Colour Trend to Life 

White Chocolate Flavoured Fudjie® 


Smooth, indulgent, plant-based and effortlessly elegant, our White Chocolate Flavoured Fudjie® mirrors the softness of Cloud Dancer with a sculptural finish and clean flavour release. Developed for consistent performance in both large-scale manufacturing and artisan production, it delivers reliable texture, visual appeal, and indulgent mouthfeel. 

Applied on brownies, doughnuts, ice cream desserts or retail baking kits, it provides a clean, premium finish that elevates even the simplest products into high-value creations. 

Vanilla White Writing Icings 


There is something inherently comforting about vanilla. Familiar yet timeless. Our Vanilla White Writing Icings naturally align with the Cloud Dancer aesthetic, offering clean lines and precise decoration for both industrial and creative applications. 

From a simple biscuit to premium seasonal desserts, they enable refined white detailing across bakery, dessert, and retail home baking concepts. 

White Peppermint Crunch


Our White Peppermint Crunch adds depth to the Cloud Dancer aesthetic through contrast of texture rather than colour. They bring a delicate crunch, visual refinment and classic flavour to creations.

Small in size, yet significant in visual and sensory impact. 

Cloud-Like White Marshmallows 


Soft, airy, and light in texture, our White Mini Marshmallows reflect Cloud Dancer’s ethereal character. Designed for versatility across industrial, foodservice, and retail applications, they perform reliably in both hot and cold formats. 

Whether folded into cookies, sprinkled on traybakes or used as a topping for indulgent hot drinks, they introduce a playful yet refined softness that complements richer flavour profiles. 

White Choco Meringue 


Our White Choco Meringue captures Cloud Dancer’s refined aesthetic through crisp texture and whisper-white tones. Light, airy, and visually elegant, these meringues are ideal for high-end patisserie, plated desserts, and premium retail decoration. 

Their delicate crunch, clean colour, and refined shape support desserts that feel contemporary yet timeless, allowing flavour and craftsmanship to take centre stage. 

Why the Colour of the Year 2026 Matters for Food Innovators 


For NPD teams, innovation chefs, and technical developers, product creation is not just about flavour. It is about crafting experiences, moments of comfort, joy and sensory discovery. 

Today’s consumers are drawn to: 
• clean, minimalist aesthetics 
• visual sophistication 
• trend-aligned storytelling 
• dependable performance in production 
• indulgence that feels thoughtful rather than excessive 

Cloud Dancer helps frame this direction. It offers a universal visual language that works across ice cream, bakery, chocolate, desserts, retail, and home baking. A colour that communicates trust, precision, and craftsmanship while leaving room for creativity. 

Thoughtful indulgence. Quiet confidence. Refined simplicity. 
Cloud Dancer marks the beginning of a new chapter. 
Your products can be part of that story. 

With OV’s portfolio of toppings, fillings, icings, glazes, and inclusions, brands can translate this aesthetic trend into scalable, reliable, and commercially meaningful solutions for 2026 and beyond. 


Pantone is a registered trademark of Pantone LLC. Cloud Dancer is referenced for trend inspiration purposes only.

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Cloud Dancer: A Soft New Dawn for Bakery and Dessert Innovation in 2026

Every year, a single colour captures the collective imagination. But 2026 feels different with Cloud Dancer named as the Colour of the Year by Pantone. A delicate, natural white that feels like the quiet pause before daybreak. A new aesthetic direction is emerging across design, fashion, and food. Soft, effortless, and quietly self-assured, Cloud Dancer is more than a colour. It is a mood. A sense of calm. A visual expression of clarity and purity. And in the world of ice cream, bakery, chocolate, and desserts, where sensory experience defines consumer appeal, this serene shade offers a powerful invitation: to create with intention and refined simplicity.
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