Only 210 units per day available nationwide—the only “cake” vending machine in Taiwan is in Kaohsiung

▲ Taiwan’s only after-hours tea-time vending machine has launched in Kaohsiung, selling canned mousse cakes and lattes—often sold out in under an hour, it’s incredibly popular. (Photo /Dabos Heavy Cream Cheese CakeProvided, the same applies below)

By reporter Li Ziyi / Interview & Report

Taiwan is caught up in a vending machine craze, mainly featuring beverages like milk tea and lattes. But who says vending machines can only serve drinks? Now, you can even buy cakes from them—how cool is that? Taiwan’s very first after-hours tea-time vending machine has made its debut in Kaohsiung. This machine offers daily limited-edition canned mousse cakes such as matcha red bean, berry chocolate, and creamy taro, along with aromatic lattes. It gets restocked three times a day, and some people even queue for 2 to 3 hours just to try this ultra-trendy vending machine afternoon tea.

▲ The vending machine offers three types of canned mousse cakes and lattes.

The after-hours tea-time vending machine is operated by Dabos Heavy Cream Cheese Cake, which has primarily sold cakes online and through physical stores over the past two years. Recently jumping on the vending machine trend, they’ve set up a vending machine near their storefront. Unlike beverages, which are easier to sell without issues like deformation, figuring out how to vend cakes through a vending machine took more effort to solve the problem of maintaining cake shape. Su Yongfen, the owner of Dabos Heavy Cream Cheese Cake, said they had to first solve the issue of the cake not falling or getting damaged when dispensed, so they opted for a robotic-arm vending machine that directly picks up and places the cake into the pickup slot—ensuring the cake stays intact.

▲ Each restocking sells out in about an hour, extremely popular, and the three flavors each have unique characteristics that make it hard to choose.

Using canned cakes paired with a robotic-arm vending machine solves the problems of cake containment and intact vending, while also offering adorable packaging. Dabos Heavy Cream Cheese Cake’s one and only after-hours tea-time vending machine in Taiwan officially opened on April 23. Restocking times are announced on their official fan page, taking place three times a day—at 9–11 AM, 4–6 PM, and 9–11 PM. Each restocking includes 70 cakes and 80 bottles of latte. They usually sell out within about an hour after restocking, making them incredibly popular.

▲ Matcha Red Bean flavor.

▲ Berry Chocolate flavor.

▲ Creamy Taro flavor.

Made with milk mousse and sponge cake paired with imported fresh fruit, most of the cakes offered in the vending machine are handmade—moist, soft, and not overly sweet. Among them, the matcha red bean mousse specially includes French orange blossom water, giving it a jasmine-like flavor—a taste you don’t often find elsewhere. The berry chocolate is the store’s signature flavor, featuring blueberries, strawberries, and blackcurrants. The creamy taro has a smooth texture and you can actually taste the taro bits—it’s quite substantial. Each cake can is priced at NT$100, and each latte bottle at NT$60. Paired together, they make the perfect afternoon tea set.

Taiwan’s only after-hours tea-time vending machine
Address: No. 147-4, Wufu 2nd Rd., Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City (under the arcade of Denton Optical)