Which country has the best cake in the world? Of course, that’s completely subjective, so why not go global with your next cake-baking session and discover a new world of scrumptious flavor? The team at How Long to Cook is passionate about cuisine from around the globe, and desserts are no exception. Cake is a worldwide crowd-pleaser; it can be rich and decadent, hearty and crunchy, simple and comforting, light and fluffy, and so much more. We rounded up traditional cakes from around the world here to inspire and educate. We hope you have as much fun learning about the unique ingredients and traditions that make these international cakes as we did:
Which international cake recipe tickled your fancy the most? Some of the best cakes from around the world are charming in their minimalism. For example, the Greek cake revani delivers a tart, refreshing flavor with just lime and simple sugar syrup. Chocolate-lovers will delight in the Austrian Sachertorte. It’s a dense chocolate cake adorned with rich dark chocolate icing. Whipped cream and apricot jam enliven the intensity of the chocolate, creating an elegant balance. Perhaps you are in the mood for something buttery and moist. Literally translating to “dream cake,” drømmekage is a Danish delight that is easy to bake and a struggle to resist. This famous Danish cake is made with a fluffy, wholesome sponge topped with caramelized coconut. For a bit of a departure, look East: The Japanese fish-shaped cake taiyaki has a flaky crust and a luscious filling of red bean paste, custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. Why is taiyaki shaped like a fish? In Japanese culture, the tai fish is a symbol of luck. The world “tai” comes from “medetai,” which means “happiness.”
Here are the cakes from different cultures we have showcased on this chart:
Argentinian cake: Rogel
Australian cake: Pavlova
Austrian cake: Sachertorte
Brazilian cake: Pavê
Canadian cake: Nanaimo bar
Chinese cake: Mooncake
Czech cake: Bublanina
Danish cake: Drømmekage
Egyptian cake: Basbousa
English cake: Victoria sponge
French cake: Gâteau Saint Honoré
German cake: Bienenstich
Geeek cake: Revani
Icelandic cake: Vínarterta
Irish cake: Porter cake
Italian cake: Torta paradiso
Jamaican cake: Hummingbird cake
Japanese cake: Taiyaki
Mexican cake: Tres leches cake
Mozambican cake: Bola Polana
Dutch cake: Boterkoek
Norwegian cake: Kransekake
Filipino cake: Ube cake
Polish cake: Wuzetka
Portuguese cake: Bolo de mel
Russian cake: Kulich
Romanian cake: Amandine
Sammarinese cake: Torta tre monti
Scottish cake: Dundee cake
Slovenian cake: Poteca cake
Spanish cake: Ponche Segoviano
Thai cake: Foi thong cake
Ukrainian cake: Makovo Vyshnevyi
Vietnamese cake: Bánh chuối hấp
Appalachian cake: Appalachian apple stack cake
Uruguayan cake: Chajá
If you enjoyed this heavenly tour of some of the most popular cakes around the world, we have more goodies where that came from. Be sure to check out our collection of international pizzas and bread from around the world.
|
Cake and Country |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Rogel
Argentina |
Thin layers of crisp pastry topped with a creamy dulce de leche spread and decorated with meringue |
|
Pavlova
Australia |
Meringue with a crisp crust and a soft, light interior, often topped with fresh fruit or lemon curd |
|
Sachertorte
Austria |
Dense two-layer chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle |
|
Pavê
Brazil |
Alternating layers of ladyfingers and a thick cream made with condensed milk |
|
Nanaimo bar
Canada |
No-bake bar with three layers: a wafer, nut, and coconut crumb base, a custard center, and chocolate ganache on top |
|
Mooncake
China |
Thick, tender pastry wrapped around a sweet, dense filling, often red bean paste or lotus seed paste. It may contain a whole salted egg yolk to represent the full moon. It’s traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. |
|
Bublanina
Czechia |
Light, buttery sponge cake with succulent fruits such as cherries, strawberries, apricots, plums, or pears |
|
Drømmekag
Denmark |
Translates to “dream cake,” a rich cake topped with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, milk, and shredded coconut |
|
Basbousa
Egypt |
Rich, syrup-soaked semolina cake flavored with orange blossom water, coconut flakes, and yogurt or sour cream |
|
Victoria sponge
England |
Two layers of light, fluffy sponge cake with a thick layer of jam and whipped cream in between |
|
Gâteau Saint Honoré
France |
Layers of puff pastry, choux pastry balls, and pastry cream, often laced with delicate caramel or spun sugar |
|
Mille-feuille
France |
Translates to “thousand sheets,” consisting of layers of puff pastry and pastry cream |
|
Bienenstich
Germany |
Two thin layers of yeast cake with a creamy filling and a buttery, crunchy, honey-almond topping. Its name means “bee sting.” |
|
Revani
Greece |
Semolina cake flavored with simple sugar syrup and refreshing lemon |
|
Vínarterta
Iceland |
Cake made from alternating layers of almond or cardamom-flavored cookies and spiced prune jam |
|
Mawa cake
India |
Classic tea-time cake with a moist and light texture, flavored with cardamom, pistachios, and mawa (evaporated milk) |
|
Porter cake
Ireland |
Hearty cake made from dried fruit, candied citrus peels, warm spices, and porter beer |
|
Torta paradiso
Italy |
Fluffy, buttery cake with a touch of orange, vanilla, and lemon zest |
|
Hummingbird cake
Jamaica |
Moist cake made with ripe bananas, pineapple, nuts, and spices |
|
Taiyaki
Japan |
Fish-shaped cake filled with red bean paste, custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato |
|
Tres leches cake
Mexico |
Sponge cake with evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream |
|
Bolo Polana
Mozambique |
Traditional cashew and potato cake flavored with citrus zest and butter |
|
Boterkoek
Netherlands |
Rich, dense, buttery cake flavored with almond |
|
Louise cake
New Zealand |
Thin layer of cake or cookie crumbs topped with raspberry or plum jam and coconut meringue |
|
Kransekake
Norway |
Translates to “wreath cake,” made from 18 delicate almond cookie rings of descending size stacked with royal icing |
|
Ube cake
Philippines |
Chiffon or sponge cake made with ube halaya, or purple yam. Ube gives it a mellow, nutty, vanilla-like richness. |
|
Wuzetka
Poland |
Two chocolate sponge cake layers with a thin layer of plum jam and a thick layer of whipped cream in between |
|
Bolo de mel
Portugal |
Richly spiced cake made with honey, almonds, and walnuts; considered Madeira’s oldest dessert |
|
Kulich
Russia |
Traditional Easter cake made with brioche dough and dried fruit, topped with lemon icing and sprinkles |
|
Amandine
Romania |
Chocolate layer cake filled with caramel, almond cream, and fondant |
|
Torta tre monti
San Marino |
Layer cake made from thin wafers fused together with chocolate or hazelnut cream |
|
Dundee cake
Scotland |
Traditional fruit cake made with currants, golden raisins, almonds, and fruit peels |
|
Poteca cake
Slovenia |
Yeast-based cake filled with ground walnuts or poppy seeds |
|
Ponche Segoviano
Spain |
Layer cake with custard and marzipan topped with caramelized sugar |
|
Prinsesstårta
Sweden |
Layer cake with airy sponge, raspberry jam, whipped cream, and a coating of marzipan |
|
Foi thong cake
Thailand |
Pandan cake (light, fluffy sponge flavored with pandan leaves) topped with egg yolk threads |
|
Makovo Vyshnevyi
Ukraine |
Sweet and sour cake made with two layers of poppy seed sponge sandwiching hard milk sauce and cherry jelly |
|
Bánh chuối hấp
Vietnam |
Soft, chewy cake made with tapioca flour, rice flour, and ripe bananas, served with coconut sauce and toasted sesame seeds |
|
Appalachian apple stack cake
Appalachia, United States |
Sorghum-sweetened cookie layers with a dried apple, ginger, and cinnamon filling |
|
Chajá
Uruguay |
Sponge cake with meringue, whipped cream, and syrupy peaches |
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