Fangsi Sesame Cake

Fangsi Sesame Cake

　　Fangsi Sesame Cake comes in two varieties: Oil Crisp Sesame Cake and Puffed Sesame Cake. The Oil Crisp Sesame Cake is made primarily from flour, vegetable oil, animal fat, five-spice powder, fine salt, and sesame seeds, and is baked in a specially made earthenware stove coated with a mixture of three types of clay. It boasts an inviting color and aroma, with a crispy exterior and tender interior. With each bite, sesame seeds and crisp crumbs scatter, filling the air with rich five-spice fragrance that leaves a lasting impression. It features a perfect combination of textures and flavors—crispy, golden brown, infused with five-spice and sesame aromas. Easy to store, convenient to carry, affordable yet delicious, it is a beloved snack enjoyed by many.

　　Its preparation method is also highly meticulous, requiring over a dozen steps from making the dough to baking the final product. The amount of dry flour mixed with the fermented dough on the first day is precisely measured, and the water used for kneading must be carefully controlled—not too hot or too cold. The dough’s consistency is equally important: too soft and the cake won’t hold its shape, too hard and it won’t taste good. The ingredients must also be strictly and finely measured. Each cake must be uniform in size and evenly thick. After rolling out the dough, a “filling” made of five-spice powder, fine salt, and crisp fat dough is wrapped inside, then sealed and rolled flat with a rolling pin. Before baking, the cake is brushed with animal fat, dipped in sesame seeds, and placed in a high-temperature, specially designed oven, where it is baked over charcoal until perfectly done.

　　The production process of Oil Crisp Sesame Cake is highly refined, and controlling the baking temperature is crucial. The oven and charcoal also have strict requirements—the stove must be lined with a specially made three-clay mixture, free of cracks or off-odors, and the charcoal must be hardwood charcoal (now replaced with truly smokeless and odorless Yangquan charcoal blocks). Overbaked cakes turn hard and lose flavor, while underbaked ones remain raw and inedible. These factors directly impact sales, which is why mastering the art of baking perfect Oil Crisp Sesame Cakes has been key to the enduring success of Yang’s Oil Crisp Sesame Cake.

　　Now a signature specialty of Fangsi, Oil Crisp Sesame Cake has, through a long history of development, become a renowned delicacy in Yucheng City. In surrounding counties, cities, and towns, mentioning Fangsi instantly brings to mind its iconic sesame cakes. With the growth of the rural economy and market liberalization, Fangsi’s Oil Crisp Sesame Cake has flourished. These cakes are now widely available across Yucheng’s streets and alleys, with vendors at rural markets seizing the opportunity to set up stalls and shops, proudly selling Fangsi Oil Crisp Sesame Cakes. While preserving traditional methods, makers have also introduced significant improvements and innovations—such as red bean paste-filled cakes, five-nut crispy cakes, and jam-filled cakes—each with unique flavors. Through friendly competition, the craft has not only thrived but also evolved through innovation.

　　Fangsi’s other variety, Puffed Sesame Cake, features a thin crust, a hollow center, sesame seeds on both sides, and a satisfying chew. Along the edge, you can cut or break open the cake to reveal its hollow interior, which can be stuffed with savory meats like soy sauce beef, soy sauce donkey meat, or cooked pork offal. The type and amount of filling can be adjusted to taste. The cakes are made using traditional methods: a ring of soil is built around a charcoal stove with an outward opening, and an inverted griddle is placed inside. The dough is prepared with fermented flour, neutralized with alkali, and kneaded thoroughly into an arm-thick rope. This rope is then rolled into a rectangular flatbread, brushed with oil crisp dough, rolled up, and shaped into a dough ball weighing about 100 grams. The ball is flattened into a wrapper-like disc, a small piece is coated with soybean oil and five-spice salt, wrapped inside, and pressed into a cake shape. It is first baked on the griddle until one side is firm, then flipped to firm the other side. Finally, it is removed and placed around the stove’s opening beneath the griddle, flipped several times until fully cooked, and then ready to sell. However, because it is produced using traditional handmade methods in small family workshops, it is not as widely renowned as the Oil Crisp Sesame Cake.

　　Source: Office of the Yucheng City Local Chronicles Compilation Committee