Description
A traditional pastry originating from Taichung, where a gooey maltose (starch syrup) filling is enclosed in countless thin, crispy, flaky pastry layers and baked round and flat.
Restaurants serving Sun Cake (Suncake)
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Bread flour
- Maltose
- Lard(or Unsalted butter)
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Dough (You Pi and You Su)] Wrap 'You Su' (oil dough: flour + lard) inside 'You Pi' (water dough: water + flour + lard/butter).
- Roll the dough thin and fold repeatedly to create dozens of ultra-thin flaky pastry layers.
- [Filling (Maltose)] Mix maltose (starch syrup), powdered sugar, a little flour, and lard into a sticky sweet filling.
- Enclose the maltose filling in the layered dough, press gently with the palm into a flat disc ~10cm in diameter (sun shape).
- Bake in a 170°C oven for ~
- mins until the surface is slightly golden (characterized by not browning too much) and the dough puffs up crispy.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Sweet aroma of Lard and Maltose
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Wrap jam in puff pastry and bake (texture differs)
Pairing
Warm Taiwan Tea or Black Coffee
Trivia
[For Everyone] A super staple Taiwan souvenir alongside Pineapple Cake. Taichung station is lined with Suncake shops. One bite fills your mouth with the delicate crumbling crust and the simple, gentle 'sticky' sweetness of the maltose inside.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Eating it plain covers your clothes in flakes, so break it on a plate and dip it in warm tea or hot milk to make it gooey before eating—the connoisseur 'Pao Niunai' style!
Allergen
Wheat, Dairy (if butter used)