This Japanese Dessert Shop is Offering Beautiful Cakes - in Vending Machine Drink Cans (Taste Test)
Risotteria®︎GAKU in Shibuya, Tokyo, began selling the “Shortcake Can,” which naturally picked up steam on Japanese social media to become an online sensation.
Essentially, this product is an authentic shortcake delicately arranged inside a clear plastic can, with the eye-catching cross-section appearing entrancingly beautiful and incredibly unique.
In July, sales began in Sapporo, with a specially made Sapporo-only vending machine selling shortcake cans 24 hours a day, allowing locals to get their fix no matter the time!
Our writer in Sapporo, specializing in uncovering the latest trends, went to check it out on the opening day!
An Innovative Idea Kicked off by a Simple Conversation
The newest brand by masters of innovation: Gaku.
The Cake Can was the brainchild of Hokkaido and Tokyo parfait and risotto specialist store development company GAKU. Founded in Hokkaido in 2006, GAKU ensures their products are all carefully handmade while pursuing designs and flavors yet unseen anywhere else.
After their late-night parfait store became a smash hit, they opened a specialized cake store, whereby the staff all agreed how great it would be if it were possible to enjoy sweets any time of day or night. One member stated, “it would be awesome if there were a cake store vending machine! You could even put them in a can!”
This simple idea spawned the release of the “Shortcake Can” 3 months later.
A Social Media Sensation!
Just look at that aesthetic!
On June 11, 2021, the “Shortcake Can” hit the shelves of Risotteria®︎GAKU Shibuya, immediately becoming a hit online. Such voices of surprise and delight included: “it looks totally amazing!” “I wanna fill my fridge up with these,” and “can I actually drink it?!”
When it became known that these cakes would be sold in a vending machine from sister shop pâtisserie OKASHI GAKU, which opened in Sapporo on July 16, Shortcake Can fever shot up to the next level!
A huge crowd gathered for pâtisserie OKASHI GAKU’s midday opening.
pâtisserie OKASHI GAKU is located on the 1st floor of a building reachable after just a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station on the Subway Namboku Line or a 1-minute walk from Hosuisusukino Station on the Toho Line.
Arriving 10 minutes before the first sales, we were met with the sight of a huge line of passionate early-birds hoping to secure their helping along with passersby, who noticed the crowd and wanted to join the hype.
The local TV stations were also there filming, making us feel even more excited to finally get our hands on a “Shortcake Can.”
8 Different Cakes On Sale - Including Sapporo-only Versions
The vending machine has been cleverly integrated into the surrounding building.
Some of the cakes can only be found in Sapporo.
In addition to the popular Shortcake Can (1,100 yen), 3 versions of the sister “Fuwa Can” with the flavors of blueberry, citrus, and Hokkaido pesticide-free red rhubarb are available, all of which are accommodated by chiffon cake and cream (900 yen each).
Adding more variety is the “Galette Can,” (800 yen), “Financier Can” (800 yen), “Pudding Can” (500 yen), and the “Canelé Can (500 yen). While there is no English writing on the cans, you can easily tell them apart. (All prices are including tax).
All of them looked so good! It took us a while to choose!
Purchasing a Cake Can is easy - simply insert money and press the button of the number corresponding to the cake you want to buy. Along with coins, you can also use 1,000 yen notes, but not 5,000 or 10,000 yen notes.
A commemorative photoshoot at Sapporo Odori Park.
We ended up settling on the following four: the popular Shortcake Can, the citrusy Fuwa Can, and the Sapporo-only Financier and Pudding Cans.
Both the Shortcake and Fuwa are housed in a see-through can, creating a stunning design that almost looks like a printing!
The contents are thoroughly stuffed inside, making it almost impossible to ruin and allowing you to carry it around without concern.
Each can has been tirelessly and delicately prepared by the hands of a professional pastry chef, ensuring each is firm and tight to minimize air from entering.
Without further ado, let’s see how these cakes actually taste!
Shortcake Can: As Tasty as it is Adorable!
The Shortcake Can backed by the Sapporo Clock Tower.
Virtually overflowing with fresh, Hokkaido-made raw cream, the Shortcake Can presents a perfect balance between sponge cake, strawberries, and whip cream.
Apparently, it took an incalculable amount of trial and error before the correct amounts of each were discovered. As soon as you pull the tab and open the cap, you’ll be instantly hit with a barrage of enticing sweetness!
Since the can is pretty deep, it’s best to use the specially designed attached spoon to dig in.
Taking a mouthful with the attached spoon, our mouths were engulfed by a sophisticated flavor without the sickly sweetness one might expect from such a product. With broken almond biscuit for extra crunch, it’s both cute, delicious, and utterly irresistible!
Fuwa Can: The Fresh Fragrance of Citrus!
The orange shines brilliantly in Sapporo’s summer light!
Our selected Fuwa Can, which contains citrus, chiffon cake, and cream, came in a dazzling orange giving off invigorating summer vibes. Opening the lid, we were met with a tantalizing orangey fragrance, making us even more pumped for what lay inside!
It almost feels like a waste to eat it!
The first bite filled our mouth with the tastes of Hokkaido cream and fluffy chiffon cake hinting of egg, along with a jelly-like puree encountered after digging in a little more.
After finishing the cake, we were delighted to discover hidden citrus jam packed in at the bottom, creating an unforgettable final mouthful. There’s certainly a lot going on inside this small can!
Financier Can: A Fantastic Souvenir!
The Financier Can is perfect as a souvenir or to share amongst a group of people.
Share it with friends while telling tales of your Japan adventures!
The Financier Can sees 16 individual financier cakes stuffed inside a can featuring the flavors of black tea, raspberry, matcha, chocolate, Kochi Prefecture yuzu, and good old plain.
The plain flavor is intended to be a simple, classic taste you’ll never grow bored of, while the matcha adds a touch of Japanese elegance to western sweetness, the yuzu balances the astringency of citrus with a deep, bitter accent, and so on, giving each a greatly individualistic flavor.
Keep in mind that the Financier Can's expiration date is about 10 days, so don’t hold onto it for too long.
Able to be passed around and shared, we recommend saving it as a souvenir to enjoy with friends at home while reminiscing about Japan!
Pudding Can: High-quality Ingredients for an Otherworldly Deliciousness!
The delicious pudding is locked away within a sleek metallic can.
The high-quality milk and egg is sure to whet your appetite!
The secret behind the delectable Pudding Can is luscious Hokkaido milk. Opening the metallic container, one is immediately enveloped by enticing caramel aromas.
Each spoonful of pudding caresses the palate with an opulent sweetness before melting away into the mouth.
Made from rigidly selected, painstakingly crafted ingredients, you can really taste the difference between cheaper, off-the-shelf pudding!
Sweets in a Can is the Japanese Trend of Summer 2021!
A brand-new sensation and taste!
For those who get sudden cravings for sweets, the release of Sapporo’s brand-new Cake Can vending machine surely comes as fantastic news! With a stellar range, including shortcake, pudding, financiers, and more, the Cake Can vending machine will undoubtedly become one of Sapporo’s hottest attractions!
pâtisserie OKASHI GAKU
1F, Minami 4 West 2 Building, 2-10-1 Minami 4-1 Minami, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 〒064-0804
Hours: 12:00pm - 11:00pm
Closed: Wednesdays, the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month
*vending machine is operational 24 hours
Written by: Masakazu
This article is accurate as of July 2021. For the latest information, please visit the official website.
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