Shuanglin Gusu Cake

Shuanglin Gusu Cake

　　Shuanglin Gusu Cake

　　Shuanglin Gusu Cake is a traditional delicacy of Shuanglin. Legend has it that during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, in Minjia Lane of Shuanglin Town, there lived an elderly woman named Aunt Ma who was in poor health. Her daughter-in-law, knowing her mother-in-law’s fondness for sweets, decided to make some sweet cakes to show her filial respect. While making the cakes, the mischievous young girl, taking advantage of her sister-in-law’s inattention, secretly added a pinch of salt to the sweet dough. When Aunt Ma tried one, she found the combination of salty and sweet surprisingly delicious, with a unique flavor that greatly stimulated her appetite. Since then, the people of Shuanglin have widely adopted this method of preparation. Shuanglin Gusu Cake has a history of over a hundred years, boasts a distinctive taste, and remains popular to this day.

　　Shuanglin Gusu Cake is flat and round, with even thickness. Its surface features clear mold imprints, while the bottom is smooth. The cake is made of fine, oily flour that is light gray in color, with the aroma of sesame oil. It is crisp, fluffy, and pleasant to the palate. Owing to its small size and refined texture, each piece melts instantly in your mouth with just one bite.

　　The production of Shuanglin Gusu Cake pays close attention to ingredient selection. First, high-quality white flour is lightly roasted until it turns a tender yellow. Then, roasted and shelled black sesame seeds are ground into sesame powder and mixed with powdered sugar. Next, well-cooked pork lard, a small amount of refined salt, and an appropriate amount of water are added and stirred to form a flaky dough, which is then pressed into shape using molds. This entire process is known as the “cold flour flaky dough technique.” In recent years, the Shuanglin Food Factory has further refined the traditional recipe and craftsmanship—for instance, by adding an appropriate amount of sesame oil to enhance the fragrance.

　　In 1987, Shuanglin Gusu Cake was awarded the title of Zhejiang Province Quality Product. It is now widely sold throughout urban and rural areas of Huzhou, as well as in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. The Shuanglin Food Factory has also made significant improvements in packaging. In addition to tubed packaging, beautifully designed boxed versions are now available to meet customer preferences.