I’m still sorting out photos from Japan but here’s a taster (and one of the easiest to sort 
) – Baum Kuchen layer cake from Nenrinya Bakery Cafe.
I stumbled on this bakery while walking around in Ginza, Tokyo. That’s the fashionable district and the bakery was housed in a huge store with a Muji and a department store – Matsuzakaya I believe. I had to stop because there was a long queue for the cakes!
Baum Kuchen is very popular in Japan. Taste wise, it tastes pretty much like the local Indonesian layer cake with more butter and without the spices. The cake is made layer by layer in a cylinder form and then cut based on weight.
This was the smallest size and cost 1050 Yen (about RM40+). It was also the cheapest The local Japanese were buying them up by the boxes! Mostly for gifts I reckon because they were packed nicely with a ribbon and placed into a paper bag. Yes, the Japanese do lay great score by their packaging.
Apparently, the Baum Kuchen layer cakes signify longevity for the Japanese due to the layering process which makes the cake look like tree rings, which might explain why they are used as bridal or wedding gifts. You can easily buy Baum Kuchen in convenience stores but the taste of the freshly baked one from Nenrinya by far surpasses any commercial cake!
There were other flavours available too, including one that looked like a corkscrew and sold sliced lengthwise so it looks like mountains – Mount Baum I think they are called. They were glazed with chocolate and sugar and looked heavenly! But prices were prohibitive so I stuck to the original Baum Kuchen.
A bit sweet but had in the morning with coffee when I came home, it brought me back all the way to the cold autumn evening standing on the sidewalk of a Ginza department store, staring into the windows at those lovely cakes.
mmm… 
Nenrinya Bakery (Website only in Japanese)
6-10-1, Ginza Chuo, Tokyo
(Matsuzakaya Department Store / Ginza store 1F)
open:10:30am-7:30pm
Popularity: 7% [?]
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
ooo…when I first saw it I was thinking “chiffon cake?”
looks yummy though!
@thefoodaholic: It is! You can find it at local bakeries or at Isetan/Jusco too but I haven’t tried it
ok..it looks like some double-sided tape. LOL
@Xin: LOL no it doesn’t stick to anything except your ribs
I had some of this cake when my Japanese friend gave one to me and it was delicious ! I didn’t know about the longevity symbolism though.
Do you have more recommendations as I would be going to Japan in a few weeks ?
Btw really like your site !
How long does this cake last? I plan on buying some in Tokyo, but I will be there for 8-9 days? Is it okay if I buy it at the beginning of my trip?
@Vicky: I don’t recommend keeping it that long. Perhaps if you could buy it at the end of your trip or it wont taste as good.