Concave cake facts for kids

Concave cake (also known as "half-cooked cake") is a yummy dessert that became super popular in China. It's special because when you slice it, the soft filling oozes out, a bit like a mini volcano! The classic recipe uses simple ingredients like eggs, honey, sugar, and flour. But you can find it in many cool flavors, from traditional honey to yummy chocolate or even green tea (matcha). Even though its "concave" (sunken) shape first made people think it was a mistake, this cake is now a big hit!

What's in a Concave Cake?

Concave cakes are usually made with just a few main ingredients. These include eggs, egg yolks, a special kind of flour called low-gluten flour, honey, and a little bit of white sugar. These simple ingredients come together to make its unique soft texture and sweet taste.

The Story of Concave Cake

Many people believe the concave cake first came from Portugal a long, long time ago. This was during the Age of Discovery, when brave sailors traveled the world. Women would bake these cakes for their husbands and family members going on long sea voyages. The cakes were a symbol of "sunny days" and good luck for their journeys.

Between the 1400s and 1600s, this special cake traveled all the way to Nagasaki, a city in Japan. Nagasaki is famous for its role at the end of the Second World War.

At first, the only flavor was honey. But as the cake became more popular, new and exciting flavors appeared. You can now find it in flavors like strawberry, Earl Grey tea, and even green tea (matcha).

How Concave Cake Became Famous

The Big Break on TV

The concave cake really took off in April 2013, thanks to a popular TV show in Taiwan called Kangxi Lai Le. The show recommended the cake, and because so many people watched it, online searches for "concave cakes" exploded overnight! The cake was already known in Japan, but this TV show made it super famous in Taiwan and mainland China. Today, many bakeries in Taiwan proudly say they sell the "real" concave cake.

Celebrities and TV Shows Love It

Famous people and TV shows helped make the concave cake even more popular. On June 16, 2013, Kangxi Lai Le featured the cake again. The hosts, Dee Hsu and Kevin Tsai, loved it and told everyone how good it was. This made the cake a huge trend in Taiwan.

A Taiwanese comedian named Na Dou once joked that if you wanted to buy a half-cooked cake, you might have to wait half a year! This shows how hard it was to get one because they were so popular. Other TV shows, like Super Taste, also featured this delicious cake.

Concave Cake Arrives in Hong Kong

The concave cake trend soon reached Hong Kong after becoming big in Taiwan. A dessert shop owner in Hong Kong decided to bring the cake there. They made it a little less sweet and spongier to suit local tastes. Now, bakeries all over Hong Kong sell this cake. They see how popular it is in other Asian countries and know it's a hit!