ばーむくうへん
The chocolate cake at Patisserie Ueda in Hiroo-cho was so delicious that I was seized by the urge to go buy some more cakes for a while (lol). The strawberry shortcake looked beautiful and I'm sure it must be absolutely delicious. However, as I was contemplating this, it started snowing and the road conditions made it impossible to drive for half a day. Not to worry though, for us Tokachi folks, we have the Fujimaru Department Store! In the underground food section, they have two popular sweets from Ueda available. One is the signature item, Choux pastry with almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, and more. Since there were a lot of them, I gave up on that and just bought one of their other popular items, the baked donut in coffee flavor. At this time of year, we have a lot of sweets stocked up at home, so buying them one by one could lead to trouble (^◇^;) Baked donuts, aren't they made with pound cake ingredients and method rather than donuts? I think of them as pound cakes shaped like donuts, but I wonder when they became popular. The moist texture is exquisite, with a refined sweetness. It's not overly sweet, but it's not lacking in sweetness either. It's like balancing on a seesaw on one foot, stable and solid, a gentle sweetness that everyone can enjoy with peace of mind. I thoroughly enjoyed the skill of the veteran chef. I shared it with a friend, but I want to eat more. The coffee aroma is also good, with a hint of bitterness making it delicious. There are various flavors like plain, orange, pumpkin, and more, so I was torn when buying. They say all of them are delicious☆ This taste makes it understandable why they have regular customers. The ingredients include vegetable oil, so it's likely made with shortening or margarine. The eggs used are not processed egg whites or sugared egg yolks, but real chicken eggs. Since it's a local pastry shop and not factory-produced, it's handmade by owner chef Keiichi Ueda. This might be the secret to its great flavor. I've firmly decided to go buy some fresh cakes when spring comes ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ