Cup Cake

Cup Cake

　　Xinhua Cup Cake is shaped like an ingot, about the size of a baby’s fist. It has a sweet flavor and transparent color, and comes in two varieties: yellow and white. The yellow ones are colored with brown sugar and rice sugar, known as Golden Ingot Cakes; the white ones are mixed with white sugar or saccharin, called Silver Ingot Cakes. They come in two shapes—concave and convex. The concave ones are called Navel Cakes, dense and tender in texture, and chewy like stewed tendon. The convex ones are called Cup Cakes. When you take a bite, they’re full of honeycomb-like air pockets—chewy yet refreshing. The best part is when they’re fresh out of the steamer: hot, fragrant, plump, wobbly, sticky, and sweet. For visitors to Xinhua, not trying a few pieces is truly a missed opportunity.

The best Xinhua Cup Cakes come from under the South Gate Tower in Chengguan Town, the county seat. Together with Dinghui Cake from Bijia Lane in Chengguan Town and noodles from Xiansheng Lane, they are known as the “Three Delicacies of Xinhua.” Originally, Cup Cakes were used as offerings for worshipping spirits and deities. Legend has it that in the fifth year of Emperor Shenzong’s Xining reign during the Song Dynasty, when the regional commander of Tanzhou conquered the Miao King and established Xinhua County, a grand Taoist ritual was held to pray for the souls of those who died in battle, and Cup Cakes were already present on the offering table. Their appearance as street snacks sold by vendors only became common in the last two hundred years.