Innovative and ever-changing delightful flavors — a burst-cheese cake so delicious it’ll make you cry

Text and photos byNata

There are many delicious pastries, but those you want to buy over and over again are rare. When it comes to cheesecake, as a cheese cake enthusiast, I’m even more picky. You probably haven’t seen me say a place is really good in a long time, but the Xingwu (Apricot House) I’m introducing today will definitely bring long-awaited joy to all cheese cake lovers.

The Xingwu Cheesecake in Taichung is located on Section 2, Liming Road, Xitun District. The name “Xingwu” is a homophone for “happiness,” hoping that everyone who eats it can immerse themselves in joy. It opened on December 14th, currently offers promotional discounts, and accepts online orders (click here for the website). The shop also provides samples, so if you’re wondering whether it’s your cup of tea, why not go try it out?
Their signature item is the “Bursting Light-Ripened Cheesecake,” made primarily with pure cheese from Hokkaido’s southern region. Developed over a year with refined techniques, it creates an amazingly delicious cake in both texture and taste. After trying it this month, I’ve become a fan of their cheesecake and will definitely be buying it again. Want to know why I love it so much? Don’t worry, keep reading and you’ll find out.

Before stepping into the store, were you drawn in by the lively comic on the exterior wall? There’s a story behind it — the cute mouse is Xiaoxing (Little Apricot), rushing back to its cozy little home with its favorite cheese, dodging a cat attack, and nibbling on the cheese it loves inside. So happy — the image is incredibly lively and adorable. It makes me think of bringing the cheesecake from Xingwu back to my warm home to enjoy and share with family, feeling just as satisfied and happy as Little Apricot. Haha.

The interior of Xingwu has a simple, warm Japanese-style vibe.

A comfortable space that puts you in a good mood just by looking at it.

Inside the bright and clear cake display case, the staff are not only busy packaging cakes but also brewing coffee on-site. Coffee and cheesecake are always a perfect match, and for someone like me who can’t have cheesecake without coffee, I’ll definitely grab a cup too.

Xingwu’s three featured burst-cheese cakes are calling out to me from the display counter. Just looking at them makes me secretly swallow my saliva — I really want to try them, but there are so many office workers in the store shopping right now, so I’ll have to wait a bit.

In addition to the three main light-ripened cheesecakes, they will also release different cakes according to the season and innovative flavors in the future. They’ve also launched coffee beverages with very cute names.

The store offers generous cake tastings — you can try a big bite of each flavor, so no worries about not being able to taste the difference.

Are the tasting spoons super cute or what? They have cat paw prints on them — soooo adorable!!!

This is also given away for free (only given, not for sale), and theirFacebookcurrent event is:
1. Online orders: Buy 3, get 1 spoon; buy 6, get 2 spoons, and so on.
2. In-store purchase: Buy 2 or more cakes, like + share the specified event image, and get 1 spoon (buy 2, get 1 spoon; buy 4, get 2 spoons, and so on)

If you like it, you definitely won’t want to miss it.

To provide discerning foodies with beverage pairings other than coffee, they also offer several carefully selected sweet white wines for customers to take home and enjoy with their cheesecake. Even rare noble rot white wines are displayed, showing the owner’s excellent taste.

For example, this Primo Amore Moscato sweet sparkling wine from Italy releases a delicate and pleasant aroma of Muscat white grapes. Paired with the original-flavor light-ripened cheesecake, it complements each other perfectly — truly a luxurious treat.

Next up, let’s dive into the taste of the burst-cheese cake everyone is most curious about, because I personally love it so much, I’ll describe it in especially detail.

First up is “One Person” (original flavor). Each flavor of cheesecake at Xingwu is 5T, which is the perfect single-serving size.

Made with two types of cheese from Hokkaido, using the amount typical for medium cheesecakes, blended with French President brand fermented butter, New Zealand milk, Japanese violet flour, Japanese brown sugar, and locally certified premium Taiwan eggs — all high-quality ingredients mixed in a golden ratio. Then, using advanced pressurized baking techniques, they create a light-ripened cheesecake that’s soft on the outside and juicy, bursting on the inside (note: it’s a light-ripened flavor, not a light cheesecake). Oh, and don’t think the bursting cheese filling is undercooked — it’s fully cooked, just with a different texture on purpose, designed that way intentionally.

The original flavor lets you taste the fresh, milky aroma unique to cheese. The top is covered with ground sponge cake powder — fine, granular cake powder with a subtle texture, very fluffy and soft. The middle layer bursts with smooth, silky cheese lava, rich and aromatic, filled with pure, thick cheese, and sprinkled with some raisins. The bottom is a soft cheese sponge cake. The multiple textures not only make the layers distinct but also make it especially refreshing and not greasy. The creamy cheese aroma that slowly melts and spreads in your mouth is very natural and pure — it’s my kind of flavor. I really love this elegant and refreshing taste and mouthfeel — something I’ve never experienced with cheesecake before. The first bite is surprise and emotion, and then every bite after is pure happiness.

Normally I only like the original flavor of cheesecake, but Xingwu’s “Romantic” (chocolate) flavor changed my habit — it’s rare that I’ve fallen for their chocolate cheesecake.

In addition to the basic ingredients, this one specially includes carefully selected French chocolate. The sweetness ratio is perfectly balanced, and the flavor of the cheese still shines beautifully — how amazing is that?

A slightly bitter mature flavor paired with a mildly sweet and refreshing taste — you can taste both the cheese and cocoa, complementing each other without overpowering, with an excellently balanced ratio. I’ve had some chocolate cheesecakes in the past, and to be honest, I didn’t like any of them. Some were bitter and astringent, some overly sweet and greasy, and others made you forget you were even eating cheesecake — you’d think you were having some unknown chocolate dessert. But after finishing Xingwu’s, I couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. Later I brought some back for Wade to try, and even he — that picky eater — couldn’t stop raving about it. That’s how good it is.

The "Little Yellow Light" in pumpkin flavor—when cheese meets pumpkin, it can be baked into such a delicious pastry. It's truly an amazing masterpiece with the perfect ratio.

It tastes like pumpkin has jumped into a whirlpool of cheese to make an ice cream mousse—so fresh and refreshing. Among the multiple textures, you can even crunch into the firm pumpkin seeds. If you love pumpkin-flavored pastries, this one is a must-try.

The exquisite cake packaging follows a simple and elegant Japanese style, with a touch of cute elements. As mentioned earlier, the cat-paw wooden spoon is for giveaway only, not for sale. But if you want one, just get a few more boxes and you can have them.

Each type of cheese cake comes with a small identifying card for its unique flavor, attached to the cardboard box. Compared to simply ticking a box or sticking a label on the outer package, I think this is much more refined.

And also, do you know what this is? Looks like chocolate, right?

Actually, it’s a chocolate coffee ice brick. Order the “Brick Heart Coffee” and you’ll see what it really is.

For takeout or drinking on-site, the ice brick and milk are served in separate cups. When you’re ready to drink, just pour them together, and you’ll see little bears or smiley figures “swimming” up. We recommend hot milk—the ice brick melts drop by drop, blending fully, so you can enjoy a rich cup of chocolate coffee milk.

I’m so glad to have discovered another amazing cheese cake specialty shop in Taichung. Aside from the classic flavors, I’m also looking forward to more innovative ones in the future. With Xing Wu’s exceptional skills, I believe every flavor will bring customers immense delight and happiness.

Info
Xing Wu Cheese Cake
Phone: (04)2252-1684
Address: No. 885, Section 2, Liming Road, West District, Taichung City
Business Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00
Website:Official Website Ordering、FB Facebook Page
 

Nata Not Messy
Loves being a stylish lifestyle enthusiast and cooking researcher