PrintSugar Rush: $1.25 Sponge Cake at Hon Cafe
Serious Eats dessert goddess Kathy Chan and I didn't plan on getting anything when we visited Hon Cafe on Saturday, but then one of the employees pointed out the bags full of end cut cake pieces—too ugly to be sold at full price, but with the same composition as the uniformly nicely shaped cakes.
"Each bag is only $1.25! And it's perfectly good!"
Kathy and I looked at each other. And then we looked at the cake. And then we grinned. How could we not get it? For less than 75¢ each, we could be the proud owners of way more light, spongy cake than any normal human would think of buying.
Each giant, fluffy cake chunk was just made to be shared as the layers could be easily pulled apart along the central smear of nearly flavorless, shortening-based frosting. The cake's lightness, hint of sweetness, and lack of crumbs or other residues makes it dangerously easy to wolf down, which we did while dodging shoppers on Mott Street.
Hon Cafe
70 Mott Street, New York NY 10013 (b/n Canal and Bayard Streets; map)
212-219-1431
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14 Comments:
Ahahahha, sponge cake looooovvvee! :D That was the best deal we scored all weekend. Next...CHINATOWN CAKE BAG TASTE OFF!
Kathy YL Chan at 4:37PM on 12/01/08
A $1.25 bag of cake is all well and good, except for the fact that its a bag of cake. Try calling up some friends and inviting them over for a bag of cake and see how it goes. I, for one, would be busy washing my hair that night.
mh330 at 5:01PM on 12/01/08
@mh330: You obviously haven't seen Kathy and me eat. This bag was enough...for the two of us. Or four normal people.
roboppy at 5:02PM on 12/01/08
If someone called me and told me they had a bag (or bowl or box or tub or WHATEVER) of delicious cake they wanted me to help them eat, I'd be over there before they could tell me what kind.
Laurel E at 5:08PM on 12/01/08
mh330 is the loser here. Cake is good. Even in bags!
drmoze at 6:33PM on 12/01/08
Ooh. This would make a good base for a trifle.
Michele Humes at 7:38PM on 12/01/08
I was kidding (if it wasn't clear). I'm sure the cake was totally delicious. But still, you kind of have to admit that "Bag 'O Cake" sounds a little wrong in many ways. :)
mh330 at 7:50PM on 12/01/08
Bag of cake awesomeness! Yum thanks for the tip!
lawman at 7:51PM on 12/01/08
i've had that chinese bakery sponge cake before, and i say, bring it on. i could easily have eaten the whole bag, with a big cup of milky tea to wash it down.
cybercita at 8:38PM on 12/01/08
Nom nom nom.
In more coherent terms, Chinese bakery sponge cake is so light and delicious that I could probably eat a good portion of that bag ;D
jangkaeng at 10:41PM on 12/01/08
@ jangkaeng: I could probably eat all the cakes in the bag in one sitting. Haha!
Gordon Mark at 12:33PM on 12/02/08
Do you know if they always have it for sale? Or during certain times? I'll be in that area tonight and would certainly want to pick myself up a bag!
wencheung at 2:56PM on 12/03/08
@wencheung: I would assume that they always have it for sale, not during a specific time.
roboppy at 3:22PM on 12/03/08
Thanks! I went tonight and they certainly had it. I am now very excited. Excellent find! Hon Cafe is great.
wencheung at 11:23PM on 12/03/08