Lolly Cake

It takes a lot to ruin a day at the beach, but this Lolly Cake almost did it. The Lolly Cake is one of New Zealand’s many culinary delights. I have yet to meet a Kiwi who enjoys this treat, but that doesn’t stop every bakery from selling it. I suppose they rely on tourists like me to buy it for sh*ts and giggles. There may have been a dare involved.

All candy are referred to as “lollies” in New Zealand, so this dessert is basically a bundt cake with candy pieces cooked into it. You know how much I love candy, so just imagine how terrible this must be if I’m denouncing it. Really terrible!

The candy pieces are like those old-fashioned chewy orange circus peanuts. Has anyone ever liked circus peanuts? I’m trying to be less judgmental in the new year, so I was careful to take a little nibble from a corner that lacked lolly so I could assess the cake on its own merits. Also terrible. The color of the cake was reddish-brown, but I have no idea what the flavor was supposed to be. The border of the cake was covered in coconut shavings. I typically enjoy coconut, but this lolly cake was beyond repair.

(As you can see, the Welly wind does wonders for my hair.)