Frog cake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A knot of brown, pink and green frog cakes
A knot of brown, pink and green frog cakes

The Frog cake is a fondant dessert in the shape of a frog's head, and heritage icon in South Australia. The frog cake was introduced by Balfours in 1922[1] when tearooms were at their height of popularity in Adelaide, South Australia. It was originally available in green, but now comes in pink and chocolate varieties.[2] The frog cake has been called "quintessentially South Australian"[3] and is also used in promoting the region.[4]

In 2001, the frog cake was recognised as a South Australian Heritage Icon by the National Trust of Australia.[5]

Contents

[edit] Composition

A dissected frog cake, displaying the internal structure.
A dissected frog cake, displaying the internal structure.

Frog cakes consist of a sponge base with a jam center, topped in artificial cream. They're covered in a layer of fondant, and fondant eyes are added to the head. They normally come in brown, green and pink, but for special occasions colours can include white, red and yellow. Frog cakes have also been released in the Adelaide Football Club colours of blue, red and yellow and the Port Adelaide Football Club colours of black, white and teal.

[edit] History

The frog cake was first introduced in 1922. Initially only green was available, but other colours were added to the range over time. While the frog motif dominates, special occasions have resulted in slightly different designs - such as Father Christmas and Snowman cakes during the Christmas season and "Chick" cakes around Easter.[6]

At various times tongue-in-cheek and often satirical suggestions to build monuments to the frog cake have emerged, such as that made by Peter Goers in 2001.[7] A more realistic recognition of the frog cake came when it was one of the first items to be selected as a South Australian Icon during the 165th anniversary of the state.[8]

It was reported in The Advertiser that frog cakes helped to convince judges to hold the 2007 World Police and Fire Games in Adelaide.[9]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ South Australian Words Radio national interview with Dr Dorothy Jauncey, February 2004
  2. ^ State Library of South Australia, SA Memory
  3. ^ South Australia--'Kind of Different'? Dorothy Jauncey from The Australian National University, May 2004
  4. ^ SA Icons - The Calendar from Adelaide's Channel Nine
  5. ^ The 2001 BankSA Heritage Icons List
  6. ^ Jauncey, Dorothy (May, 2004). "South Australia - 'Kind of Different'?". OzWords. Australian National Dictionary Centre. 
  7. ^ Goers, Peter. "A little lunacy on Victoria Square", The Advertiser, August 18, 2007. 
  8. ^ "Humble frog cake hops into the limelight", The Advertiser, December 27, 2001. 
  9. ^ "Games take the cake", The Advertiser, March 19, 2007.