Pineapple Cake Costs Nearly 10,000 Pesos: A University Professor Laments the Luxury of Sweets in Cuba

A historian and full professor at the University of Havana has taken to Facebook to expose the exorbitant prices of sweets in Havana. He revealed that a whole pineapple colada cake is being sold for a staggering 9,650 Cuban pesos at a private bakery, a figure that far exceeds the average monthly salary of state workers in the country.

Reinaldo Manuel Sánchez Porro, a renowned History professor and researcher associated with the Center for African and Middle Eastern Studies, shared his experiences in a post titled "NO SUGAR, NO COUNTRY." He recounted his visit to the Biky bakery, located at the intersection of Infanta and San Lázaro in Central Havana.

Skyrocketing Prices in Havana's Bakeries

"I recall indulging myself at the 'Biky' bakery on Infanta and San Lázaro, and feeling outraged when the price of a lemon pie was raised to 750 pesos. Today, when I stopped by, the cashier informed me that it now needs to be ordered in advance and costs 12,000 pesos. Farewell, coveted lemon pie, my palate mourns," the academic wrote.

While browsing the bakery's display, Sánchez Porro noted other steep prices: "a small coconut tart costs 480, and a slice of guava or coconut cake is priced at 950. The entire pineapple cake is set at 9,650 pesos."

Comparative Costs at Another Bakery

The professor also visited Buenissimo — formerly Bim Bom — situated at 23rd and Infanta, marketed as a "gourmet soda shop" with a dining room and terrace. Prices there were similarly high: "a slice of Swiss roll is 790 pesos, a piece of strawberry cake is 920, a small Tres Leches cup is 950, and a simple brownie is priced at 980 pesos, each bearing the stern face of Martí."

These figures become even more striking when juxtaposed with the population's earnings. According to official data, the average monthly salary in Cuba was 6,930 pesos in 2025, equivalent to about 13 dollars on the informal exchange. Between January and April of this year, this average nudged up slightly to 7,074 pesos per month. Thus, the cost of the pineapple cake at Biky exceeds an entire month's salary.

The Broader Economic Context

The disparity is even starker when considering that a family needs approximately 96,000 pesos monthly to meet basic needs, based on independent economic assessments. Most of this amount would be allocated to food alone, as per estimates from June 2026. This is over ten times the average wage.

Underlying this scenario is the crisis in the sugar industry, something Sánchez Porro references in his post's title. "NO SUGAR, NO COUNTRY. That was the saying before. Ending that dependence by diversifying national production was an early goal of the process. Unfortunately, today there is no sugar; it's vanished from the ration store although small businesses sell it at... small business prices," he remarked.

The facts support this depiction: the 2024-2025 sugar harvest fell below 150,000 metric tons, the lowest level in over a century, and economists note that Cuba's current sugar production is less than it was in 1899. On the informal market, a pound of sugar has reached prices exceeding 500 pesos, while April 2026's rationed basket in Santiago de Cuba included just one pound per person.

This shortage is compounded by an annual inflation rate that hit 20.70% in July 2026, with food and non-alcoholic beverages accounting for 63.18% of the total increase in the consumer price index that month.

Faced with this reality, Sánchez Porro describes the entrenched social divide on the island with a poignant observation: "inequality creates an economic apartheid that forces me to satisfy my sweet tooth with a bar of guava paste, costing 400 pesos at the markets, which, when carefully sliced, provides for fifteen to twenty desserts. If I manage to pair it with Maria cookies (at whatever price they may appear), I escape into the fantasy of traditional Cuban gourmet."