Cult following makes this ice cream sell like hotcakes. 

While most people might think to buy their ice cream at a supermarket or convenience store, in Japan there are hidden gems to be found at cake and dessert chains like the hugely popular Chateraise.

With branches around the country, Chateraise is a household name in Japan, and recently, customers have been reminding us of its popularity by raving about its Baumkuchen and Vanilla ice cream.

Keen to find out what made the ice cream so great, our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma went out to pick up a tub, and he was lucky to get one as they were selling like hotcakes at his local branch.

▼ The ice cream is available in single tubs for 259 yen (US$1.75) or 972 yen for a pack of four.

What makes this product so special is the fact that instead of having pieces of cake mixed into the ice cream, it contains a slice of baumkuchen on top, and it’s been soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.

Lifting the lid on this ice cream was a treat, as it looked identical to the image on the front, and the visual impact was surprisingly impressive.

With the cake being soft and the ice cream being stiff and ice cold, it’s best to wait a little while for the cream to soften before eating.

It took a lot of self-control for Masanuki to not devour the whole thing immediately, but when he eventually dipped his spoon in for a taste, the wait had been worth it. The soft, smooth texture of both components melded perfectly on the tongue, creating a luxurious mouthfeel as the rich sweetness of vanilla and scent of rum made Masanuki moan in delight.

It was a sublime combination of cake and ice cream that can’t be replicated entirely by buying each component separately and combining them, but if you do want to try that tactic, the non-rum baumkuchen slice can be purchased for 140 yen.

Masanuki, however, recommends buying the ice cream instead, and suggests purchasing more than one because after you’ve gotten a taste of it, you’ll likely find yourself craving more.

It’s an ice cream that’s definitely worth the hype, and with Chateraise having an unstaffed 24-hour store in the heart of Tokyo, this could become a dangerous addiction!

Related: Chateraise Baumkuchen & Vanilla Ice Cream
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