Japanese Cakes

This morning I received an e-mail from a Japanese company expressing interest in the Daphne Martin cake decorating mystery series. I forwarded the e-mail on to my agent and edtior, but the query made me wonder what types of cakes are popular in Japan.

Here are some links to recipes:

Daifuku - The recipe is available at About.com's Japanese Food site. This cake uses rice flour and anko.

An online Tokyo guide advises that the Japanese people don't like sugary desserts and that their cakes and other desserts have a subtler sweet flavor.

Another site, Miso Soup for the Otaku Soul, tells about the special holiday the Japanese have for eating cake: Kurisumasu. When I did a search for "Kurisumasu," I learned that "Merii Kurisumasu" means "Merry Christmas" in Japanese.

My So-Called Japanese Life has a recipe and detailed instructions on making Japanese sweet potato cakes, and the Joy of Cakes Blog includes Japanese wedding cakes.