SAN ANTONIO — The origins of chimney cakes – whimsical, sweet-tasting, doughy delicacies – reside in 1400s Romania. So how did they come to be sold in San Antonio in 2018?
Ion Lacau is the owner of Transylvania Treats, a food truck business operated by two local families that you may have seen at festivals or farmer’s markets around town. Their specialty? The centuries-old chimney cake.
The treats have a look that stands out from the crowd, and also a taste that does the same. There’s a special process to creating them, from preparing the dough and lengthening it to nearly three feet; coiling it around an oiled wooden spindle; flattening the dough; rolling it in granulated sugar; and sticking it over some heat from a small oven.
It’s a big process, but Transylvania Treats has got the technique down pat.
After the cake has baked and the sugar has melted into a delicious outer caramel coating, then comes the fun part—the toppings.
Lacau said roasted walnuts are the traditional choosing, but curating to western tastes has allowed them to experiment. In one area of the truck sit containers of coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder and other toppings.
They also make savory cakes, topping them with jalapeños and, yes, bacon.
The first known recipes for chimney cakes are nearly 300 years old, but this business knows it’s never too late for innovation, or to introduce it to a culture that may have never tried them before. And despite being in action for only a year, they’ve made quite an impact—including winning second place at the Texas Folklife Festival recently.
To see where Transylvania Treats is going next, visit their website or follow them on Instagram @transylvaniatreats.