Date With a Cake: A Sweet Delight in Wudaokou

Worth the wait

"You have to try the Wudaokou date cake!" was one of the first things I was told when I arrived in Beijing. Always happy to try cake, I made my way to the little "shop" on the north side of Chengfu Lu, about a five-minute walk directly west of Wudaokou subway station. I was to be very pleasantly surprised.

The shop (which is little more than a stall) is family run and has had two ovens cranking day and night for more than five years now. Everyday, they churn out more than 50 kilograms of hot, delicious date cake. Yes, 50 kilograms! The store is insanely popular, and you can often see a winding line of people queuing. During peak hours (4-7pm), to say you can expect to wait an hour is no exaggeration. 

What hit me first was the heavenly smell, a mixture of brown sugar and maple syrup. As you wait in that ridiculous queue complaining about the cold, the smell reminds you of why you're putting yourself through it for a seven kuai cake.

That seven kuai gets you 500 grams of date cake, and oh boy, is it worth the wait. It comes out in a giant pan, and you get seven or eight square pieces each about the size of your fist.

The taste is not too sugary – so often the downfall of Chinese confectionary. On a density scale ranging from brownie to sponge, the cake leans more towards sponge but still remains satisfyingly moist. The buttery edges of the cake are particularly satisfying, offering a slightly crunchier bite. 

The store name is "Date Cake King" – and rightfully so. Well worth the five-minute walk from the Wudaokou station, be sure to try out this tasty treat next time the munchies hit.

Daily 11am-8pm (closes early if cakes are sold out). Chengfu Lu (north side), five minutes walk directly west of Wudaokou subway station.