Cutting edge Baumkuchen in Japan
Ryugetsu (Memuro City, Hokkaido)
Sanporoku – a moist, vertically cut Baumkuchen, made only from locally sourced Hokkaido ingredients with a distinctive coating feature. This product also comes in a smaller and individually packaged version. Sanporoku is best known confectionary with its distinctive outer layer resembling the bark of the birch tree, depicted using milk and white chocolate. Baked with locally sourced Hokkaido ingredients, including flour from the Tokachi Plain, it is one of the company’s longtime sellers and orders come from all over Japan. Its highly reputable, moist texture has captivated celebrities and many sweet lovers.
Another characteristic which is unique to Ryugetsu’s Baumkuchen is how they are cut and packaged. Compared to many other Baumkuchen from other manufacturers which often are cut horizontally to showcase its ring shape, Ryugetsu’s Baumkuchen is cut vertically into a column, partly because Ryugetsu’s Baumkuchen is very moist and not easy to cut into a perfect ring shape. This has become a distinctive feature.
Rugetsu’s Baumkuchen also comes in smaller and individually packaged versions. These versions are popular among people who prefer having it as a snack. Baumkuchen dries out easily once the package is opened but when individually packaged people can always enjoy fresh Baumkuchen. Ryugetsu also produces Baumkuchen in various seasonally limited flavors.
The company’s outlet shop has even become a tourist destination as people flock to purchase cut-ends of Baumkuchen at a fraction of the cost of regular Sanporoku.
Ishiya (Sapporo City, Hokkaido)
Shiroi Baum Tsumugi – a ring shape Baumkuchen with kneaded white chocolate. Moist and soft texture and rich and flavorsome taste. Ishiya introduced Shiroi Baum Tsumugi in 2009, surprising consumers with its uniquely pale appearance which symbolizes snowy Hokkaido. By kneading the same white chocolate used in their signature product “Shiroi Koibito” into a cake dough, the company successfully developed a technique to bake an unconventional Baumkuchen. This soft, moist and flavorsome Baumkuchen is very close to the texture of a sponge cake.
Namara Baum Tsumugi – a ring shape Baumkuchen made from premium Yotsuba butter. Moist texture inside and delicate and slightly crispy outside. Arriving on the market in 2017, after Ishiya’s long journey to search for the best butter, Namara Baum was created using premium Hokkaido Yotsuba butter. It is traditional in appearance with a moist texture inside and a delicately crispy outside.
Kitakaro (Sunagawa City, Hokkaido)
Baumkuchen Fairy Forest– Ring shape, 14 cm in diameter, 4cm or 6cm or 8cm in thickness. Also available in smaller ring shape, 8cm in diameter, individually packaged in 8 or 12.
Using more traditional techniques, Kitakaro’s Baumkuchen is known for its craftmanship. It is made using an oak tree spit wrapped with paper and baked at a carefully controlled temperature. A highly skilled pastry chef carefully layers the dough and bakes it in their original oven and then the cake is let sit in a temperature-controlled room overnight that helps achieve a soft and moist texture.
Baumkuchen outside Japan
Germany's Baumkuchen is considered to be a special luxury cake that only qualified artisans can make.
It is a special cake for Christmas and celebrations, so it is not familiar to Germans.
Although there are various kinds of Baumkuchen in Japan and they are very popular sweets, they are not well known outside Japan.
In recent years, department stores that are famous in Japan have been expanding overseas.
Along with that, a large number of popular sweets such as Baumkuchen have been imported, including Southeast Asia.
For example in Bangkok, Thailand.
There are Japanese department stores such as Isetan and Takashimaya, where there are many Japanese-style confectionery companies.
SIRIM BAKER CO. , LTD., a local company in Thailand manufactures and sells Baumkuchen.
The display is sold at the central department store in a luxury supermarket outside Bangkok.
The taste is different from Japan's Baumkuchen when compared to taste. The price is also 180 yen (55 Baht). See the photo on the left (diameter is about 80 mm and thickness is about 25 mm)