Nara is one of the former capitals of Japan and is home to many historic sites like shrines and ruins. One of them is the kofun, megalithic tombs that were constructed between the early 3rd century and 7th century AD. The most famous kofuns are shaped like keyholes and are called zenpo-koenfun. A little bakery in Nara decided to take this piece of Japanese history and make unique kofun-shaped cakes. The bakery, Petite Marché, also sells shovel-shaped spoons so you can excavate the kofun cake! If you dig the kofun cake, you’ll find cashew nuts that represent magatamas, comma-shaped beads that people wore when buried in kofuns. Most sugoi cake ever? I think so!
The greenery is made out of crumbled matcha spongecake.
Let the excavation begin!
The cake is mostly chocolate cream and spongecake with pieces of banana.
Found a magatama!
The bakery also made cat-shaped kofun cakes during Nyara-machi Neko Matsuri, a festival for cat lovers held in Naramachi. The cake is peanut-mocha flavored and contains cashews as well as bits of pecans and a tiny dried fish.
Where did you get the mini shovel like spoons?