Asian countries are all known for their amazing street food. From Chinese dumplings to Japanese Yakitori, each country specialises in some food that’s designed to be quick, convenient and delicious. But although there are many savoury items that can be enjoyed, sweet dishes are less easy to find in this category. Enter Taiwan’s Wheel Cakes.
These popular desserts are cooked like pancakes or waffles in a cast iron pan and as the name suggests, are round. This Taiwanese staple was originally based on Japan’s Imagawayaki but has been localised over time. The centre can be a variety of fillings like red bean paste, chocolate or even peanut butter which is sandwiched between the batter and cooked till golden brown.
Imagawayaki was named after the Imagawa Bridge, which is close to where the dessert was first sold in the late 1700s during the Edo period and since then has been adapted into various other dishes such as Obanyaki and Dorayaki in Japan.
Wheel Cakes have been designed to be eaten on the go with the outside batter containing the fillings so you can wander the streets of Taiwan and enjoy the markets while enjoying your treat. It’s a dessert that’s very dear to Taiwanese culture and many people have fond memories of eating Wheel Cakes as children.
They’re usually cooked in a special pan with deep moulds (like a cupcake tray) so that there’s enough depth to layer up a filling Wheel Cake. Aside from that, the ingredients and method are so simple you can definitely try out your own version at home. These are the perfect weekend breakfast or teatime snack for kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs (160g)
- 1.5 Cups of Milk (320ml)
- 3 oz of Melted Butter (80g)
- 1 tsp of Vanilla
- 1.75 Cups of Flour (320g)
- 2 Tbsp of Sugar
- 2 Tsp of Baking Powder
- 1 tsp of Salt
Extra Ingredients
- Oil
- Chocolate Spread
Method:
- Combine the Wet Ingredients and whisk until they are combined. Then sift the dry ingredients. into the wet ingredients.
- Stir until the batter is smooth and transfer to a measuring cup with a spout. Place the pan on the largest burner on your stove and set the temperature to medium heat.
- Brush oil into each cup.
- When the pan is warm-hot pour the batter about halfway up the cup.
- Wait 90 seconds and put 1 scoop of chocolate spread in the middle of the batter of two of the cups.
- Wait another 1-2 minutes for the non-filled batter to cook most of the way through - the top should not be liquid, just slightly runny.
- Flip the non-filled half onto the top of the one that is filled.
- Press down lightly so that the two halves join together.
- Wait 1-2 minutes for the wheel cake to continue cooking.
- Flip the entire cake and cook on the other side for another minute.
- Take the wheel cake out of the pan and place it on a cooling rack or serve immediately.