Wuzhou Dafu Cake

Wuzhou Dafu Cake

　　　　Dafu Cake is one of Wuzhou's time-honored traditional delicacies. It is said that Dafu Cake first appeared during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1851–1860), originally created by an elderly woman who had moved from Guangdong to the outskirts of Wuzhou City. Hence, it was initially named "Grandma’s Cake." Later, a poor scholar in Wuzhou City who failed the imperial examinations sought a livelihood and apprenticed himself to the old lady to learn the craft. Seeing that the scholar was honest, intelligent, and diligent, the old lady passed on the technique of making "Grandma’s Cake" to him. After the old lady passed away, the scholar felt that the name "Grandma’s Cake" was not elegant and renamed it "Dafu Cake," which has been used ever since. By the time of the Republic of China, the production technique of Dafu Cake had become more widespread, with four or five bakeries in Wuzhou City making it, thereby expanding its influence and establishing it as a famous local pastry highly praised by the people of Wuzhou. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, some veteran bakers had passed away, retired, or changed professions, and the technique for making Dafu Cake was on the verge of being lost. In 1956, the Wuzhou Pastry Cooperative (the predecessor of the current Bailuo Food Factory) set out to rescue this traditional craft. They extensively collected the ingredient formulas and production techniques of Dafu Cake from various bakeries before liberation, conducted comprehensive research, refined the best practices, and revived the production of this renowned pastry. Currently, the Dafu Cake produced by Wuzhou Bailuo Food Factory is known for its well-balanced formula, exquisite craftsmanship, soft and delicate texture, rich nutrition, and suitability for all ages. In 1983, it won the Guangxi Quality Food Award, and in 1985, it received the National Golden Deer Award for Children’s Daily Necessities. The production process of Dafu Cake is as follows:

(Ingredients) 50 kilograms of fine flour, 25 kilograms of high-quality white sugar, 5 kilograms of fresh eggs, appropriate amount of leavening agent.

(Process) First, sift the flour once or twice to make it loose and allow it to fully absorb air; dissolve the white sugar in an appropriate amount of water and boil it into a moderately thick, tender syrup for later use; mix the flour, syrup, and egg mixture evenly to form a soft dough, then process it through pushing, kneading, pulling, and grinding techniques to create a cooked dough. Divide the dough into pieces, shape them into cake bases, and after forming, send them into the oven to bake. Control the oven temperature between 180–200 degrees Celsius. Once baked, remove the cakes, let them cool, and then package them.

(Features) The cakes are perfectly round in shape, with a fine, soft, and elastic texture. They are sweet and delicious, without any hardness, dryness, or greasiness.