Around the world in 7 slices of cake

The world is full of delicious cakes and what better way to experience all a location has to offer than by trying their signature sweets? With this delicious brief in mind, we’ve rounded up the most creamy cakes and beautiful bakes, named after the places where they were created.

Portuguese custard tarts

Foodies (and the rest of us) are currently obsessed with Portuguese food and who could say no to the perfectly-formed Portuguese custard tart? Known locally as ‘Pastel de Belem’, these tarts are named for the Lisbon parish of Belem where they were first baked. High-profile fans include the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, which recently published a guide to finding the best custard tarts in Lisbon.

Boston cream pie

A butter-based sponge cake topped with chocolate glaze and filled with custard or cream, the Boston cream pie was invented at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1856. The hotel is (justifiably) still so enamoured with their creation that the Parker House Hotel restaurant has promised to deliver a Boston cream pie to anywhere, no matter how remote, in the USA.

Prekmurska gibanica

A flavoursome combination of nuts, fresh ricotta, poppy seeds and apples, this Slovenian cake might sound like a sandwich, but it’s actually a delightful dessert. Prekmurska gibanica takes its name from the Slovenian district of Prekmurje, it is served at festivals and religious ceremonies. Visit in June for the region’s Festival of Flavours and spend a few nights at the blissful Podhamer Guesthouse.

Allahabadi cake

An Indian Christmas cake made with rum, marmalade, ginger, fennel, dried fruits, petha and a moreish chewy candy called ‘petha’, Allahabadi is far too delicious to be a once-a-year treat. Although, if you are in the Allahabad region over the festive period check into the Kunjpur Guest House and you’ll be ideally placed to check out the city’s Christmas Lights Festival.

Black forest gateau

The German name for this pile of whipped cream, dark chocolate, cherry brandy-soaked deliciousness is Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Joseph Keller, the gateau’s creator, named this dessert after the Baden-Württemberg mountain range and a visit to the area is incomplete without putting away at least three slices of it on the Hotel Hofgut Sternen terrace.

Sarawak layer cake

The neon, multi-layered Sarawak cake is served in Malaysia on special occasions. And during festivals Sarawak residents will open their homes and serve slices of it. This distinctive cake is either striped or patterned, and the layers of butter sponge are usually held together with jam. It’s so popular that some Sarawak hotels have even created in-house bakeries.

Dacquoise

What kind of geo-inspired cake list would this be without at least one French confectionery creation? Dacquoise is composed of layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped buttercream, and it was originally an experiment by Japanese chef Takao Mishima who wanted to combine traditional European flavours with Japanese monaka (jam). And it worked. Visit the birthplace of the delectable Dacquoise, the French town of Dax, and spend a sugar-fuelled weekend at Le Wasconia.

Rab cake

Today the Rab cake comes in many different shapes but purists know that the only way to eat this almond and Maraschino marvel is when it’s been baked in a spiral shape and, ideally, on the Croatian island of Rab. Enjoy a slice (or a spiral) while overlooking the Adriatic sea at Apartments Flora.