I have a birthday that will be arriving very soon (Happy Early Birthday to Me!) and it is not the gifts that I look forward to or the awkward singing but what I love most about my special day is cake. Yes, the delicious dessert is what keeps bringing me happiness year after year. I’m sure many Travel Freaks share the mutual love for this dessert and it has inspired me to find popular cakes that are devoured around the world. Alright, you caught me. I just wanted a reason to look at cake all day long. Can you blame a girl?
Galette des rois, France
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Galette des rois or King Cake is make in order to celebrate the Christian holiday of epiphany in January. In France there are usually two different types of King Cakes that are served. One cake has layers of puff pastry filled with almond cream and the other cake, popular in the south of France, is filled with candied fruit. These cakes are usually baked with a special toy or trinket inside and are supposed to bring luck to whoever finds it in their slice of cake.
Pastel de Tres Leches, Mexico
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This cake is the most popular cake throughout Mexico and it is named for the three different types of milk that the vanilla sponge cake soaks in. Typically this sauce is made from sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. The cake is then topped with whipped cream or even sometimes meringue or chocolate ganache. The cake is truly incredible and if I were to celebrate my birthday in Mexico I would have about 100 slices.
Sacher-Torte, Germany
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This exquisite piece of cake came from the mind of Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 and the original recipe is said to be only known by those who work at Hotel Sacher in Vienna. What we do know about the sacher-torte is that it is a chocolate cake with apricot jam and it is topped with chocolate icing. I’m having a hard time looking at this picture without drool falling out of my mouth. Anyone want to celebrate my birthday in Germany?
Pavlova, Australia and New Zealand
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Both Australia and New Zealand call dibs as being the creator of this dessert but why fight over this dessert when you can eat it! The meringue cake was created to honor the ballerina dancer, Anna Pavolva. The cake has a crip exterior and a soft marshmallowy center. The cake is usually served with whipped cream and fresh fruit adoring the top, which makes it a perfect cake for my summer birthday!
Basbousa, Somalia
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This traditional cake is made from semolina in a simple syrup. The syrup is typically made with lemon juice and rose water and the final product is topped with almonds. If I look at any more pictures of this cake I might cry.
Kueh Lapis, Indonesia
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This cake certainly looks strange with its layers of colors but these thin layers give an explosion of flavors by combining different spices such as cinnamon, clove, mace, and anise. In order to deliver the final product each layer bust be grilled individually but the final product is truly spectacular.
What is your favorite type of cake?
