The very nature of RLC’s pantry is to find things that I’ve never heard of and share them with you! lol. And this German-inspired cake from Hawaii fits the bill.
Baumkuchen (in German: Baum = tree, Kuchen = cake) is a cake/bread baked on a stick. Layer after layer is placed on the stick and baked over an open fire. At nearly 570 F, the outside of the cake turns brown and forms the “annual rings” of the Baumkuchen. All the time, the baker must control and supervise the baking. If the cake is baked too long (just a few seconds), it will burn, but if it is too moist, the cake may fall off the stick on which it is baked. The process is very time consuming and elaborate, an art of baking. That is why Baumkuchen is also called the “King of Cakes” and is included in the logo of the German Confectioners Guild.
This version is infused with Hawaii's famous coffee.