Durian Cake: The Delicious Treat Made From A Super Smelly Ingredient

Durian is creamy, extremely flavorful, and completely dividing. In Southeast Asia, where the plant is native, durian is noted as the king of fruits; however, in Dutch, it goes by the name "stinkfrucht," which translates to stink fruit. This notorious love-and-hate relationship with the fruit is partly due to its smell, leading to its ban on public transportation, airplanes, and in hotel rooms. There is one way that this fruit can be adapted to unite those on either side of the fence, and it comes in the form of a cake.

If you're into durian already, you probably know it's a fruit you can instantly elevate with a pinch of salt. However, when whisked into a cake, its custard-like consistency creates a dreamy sweet treat. The pungent smell of durian is often likened to used gym socks, garbage, or even "a bunch of dead cats," as Mental Floss reports one Bangkok-based food writer described it. Durian's smell may resemble its spiky exterior, but its taste is sweet. This is why its cake form is currently trending and another reason you must give this unashamed fruit another go.

Durian is one of the ingredients that even Aarón Sánchez dreads eating, but despite its reputation, some immediately drool at the thought of a durian-filled cake. Durian cake is made in a variety of ways. Ailada Meepang's bakery LADA in Phitsanulok province, Thailand, gained recognition in the durian zone once it started producing durian cake. Ailada infuses all cake components with durian to create the punchiest flavor imaginable; it's in the frosting, cream filling, and sponge. Before decorating, Ailada places two chunky whole pieces of fresh durian fruit on top of the whole cake and then carefully pipes spikes all around so the cake resembles the fruit.

She also makes durian cake cups layered with durian sponge and filling before being topped with durian purée. It's a serious durian overload and perfect for anyone obsessed with the fruit. Lada bakery also produced durian cakes that were beautifully designed for birthdays – it may tempt even those that can't stand the smell.

While business might be booming for durian cake in Thailand, it's caused a controversial stir in Taiwan. On ordering a durian-shaped cake, one customer complained about the putrid taste. As reported by Taiwan News, the baker responded, "If you order a durian cake, of course, you will get a durian." Many came to the baker's support, praising the cake style and asking how they could order one. If you're intrigued to give this a go, recipes for durian cake are easy to find throughout the web, whether you're interested in making a sponge, a Swiss roll, or a crêpe cake.

Durian cake is not the only use of an ingredient that's heightened people's curiosity: There is a durian pizza that's popular specifically in China. While in Malaysia, ramen served inside a durian shell was called "sacrilegious" in looks; on taste, it achieved the status of a flavor bomb. If durian has made its way into ramen, pizza, and cake, there is no telling where it might appear next. Durian is not appealing to everyone, but in these peculiar forms, it's undoubtedly worth a go.